Howl
by Evangeline Malone
Summary: Captain Hans had never expected to survive the horrors of the war the Major had started. That battle was supposed to be his own personal funeral pyre, yet someone had dragged him out from the flames. This is the story of the origins of his species, their extermination, his deep seeded hatred for Hellsing, and the unexpected love he finds in Seras Victoria as they face a new foe.
1. Prologue

The city was in ruins. Nearly everything had been reduced to rubble, ash, and flames. Gunfire sounded in the distance, but the battle was already over. The war had already been won. It had all ended in such a drastic contrast to how Hans had pictured things for so many decades. He had always imagined glorious battle, bloodlust, and eventually a warrior's death.

But, instead he now lay wounded on the battle field. He wasn't supposed to live through this thing, this hell. The Major had always made it very clear that this was a suicide mission. And one by pitiful one all of his comrades had died.

Hans took a deep breath, but sharp pain cut it short. His body was broken, his purpose stolen, and the silver burning next to his heart kept him that way. The tiny piece of metal lodged deep within his chest cavity sent poisonous, pulsating pain through his body. Yet, it wasn't large enough to kill him. Instead it simply lay burning away at his flesh at just a slow enough pace that his body healed enough not to bleed out. When he lost his battle and had failed to serve his sole purpose, the Major had activated the fail safe destruction of evidence that he had implanted in all of his soldiers. The FREAK chip in his body had burst into flame, yet fire had never been a deadly thing for him. No doubt that silver fragment had been assumed to pierce his heart.

For that brief moment that he lay dying, engulfed in searing hot blue flame… Hans had been so happy. He had smiled and embraced his death, yet death did return that embrace. No, it had left him to writhe in agony in the ruins of the battle field. The gore he thrashed about in was a mixture of his own along with his enemies and his comrades.

Was this his punishment?

Yes, that must be why this was happening. All these years he had blindly followed the Major's orders, committing atrocities which still haunted his dreams. It all felt like a bad dream. His vision was nearly gone, everything around him blurs of flame and dark shapes moving about him. His ears were ringing from the explosion when the blimp had crashed to the earth. That damned silver kept him suspended in a horrible limbo between life and death. It slowed his body's natural healing ability just enough to keep him alive and slow the loss of blood, yet not enough to heal the shattered bones or soothe his burnt skin. His clothing had long since been consumed by the fire, now the flames seemed to be taunting him as every few moments they burnt across his body in the wake of a new explosion. Would this be his eternal doom? Forever broken and dying, but never taking that final breath? Would he spend eternity like this?

Opening his singed eyelids, Hans tried to make sense of the shapes moving about within the shadows of his vision. He felt like there might be people moving around him, yet his eyes and ears told him so very little. Attempting to sniff the air, his nostrils could only detect the stench of his own smoldering flesh.

Then something soft touched his cheek, just one single delicate finger. Was this death, finally come to relieve him of this torment? Oh he prayed that this was so. He longed for death, for an end.

But, instead he felt someone grabbing his wrists and ankles. Those hands lifted him up and he screamed as his burnt skin came lose and tore at the movement caused by those hands. No sound came from his mouth other than a terrible gurgle as he finally passed out from the pain.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Seras POV:**

The wounded soldier opened his mouth to scream when the men had grabbed his arms and legs to lift him up onto the stretcher. Seras' eyes had misted blood tears when the poor man's skin had begun to fall off from the friction. Whoever he was, he was burnt beyond recognition. It pained her to watch his mouth gaping open to yell, but nothing more than a strangled gurgle and blood came out. He wasn't a ghoul and no ordinary citizen could survive such wounds. She could only assume that he was a member of Hellsing or Iscariot and as such, she would help him.

The soldiers carried the bloodied man on the stretcher across the battle field. It was finally over. This horrible mess was over. London was nothing more than flames and rubble, her master was gone. All she could do now was serve her master's master in his place. Sir Integra Hellsing would need Seras now that everything was in shambles. Yet, that knowledge was barely consolation for her after losing her master, Alucard.

The battle weary draculina trudged along behind the grim procession, which was picking its way through the ashes of the city. Every man in the group was working hard to carry a stretcher containing a fallen comrade. Altogether they had rescued five battered men from the battlefield, yet there was no guarantee of their survival. Their latest discovery, the man with the horrific burns across his entire body, had already passed out and only the weak movement of his chest told her he was still alive.

* * *

The Hellsing Estate was still standing, despite having parts of walls and the roof missing. It had taken two days to clear all of the bodies from the halls, yet even with those gone it was like living inside of a ghost. The people who would normally fill the halls were either dead, injured, or had been given leave to be with their families. Now there were only the remains of the Wilde Geese, a small number of soldiers, and hired medical personnel.

Seras wanted nothing more than to crawl into her coffin and her sleep for days on end, but Hellsing demanded her effort. Sir Integra had summoned her to the makeshift office which was now being used as her workspace. She could smell her master's master all the way from down the hall, a mixture of cigar smoke and gunpowder. Sir Integra Hellsing radiated power and commanded respect, yet Seras still felt the dread building within her gut. That dreadful calm before a storm.

Seras' nose was assaulted by the cloud of cigar smoke hanging in the air of the small space serving as Integra's temporary office. Her master's master looked up from a towering stack of papers upon her desk, her lips pursing as she dragged on the cigar in her mouth.

"Seras, you're late."

"Sorry, sir." Seras replied, her voice betraying her overwhelming exhaustion.

"I have one last thing for you to handle today, Seras. A soldier which your squad brought back for medical attention is suspected to be a surviving member of the enemy. I have secured him within the estate, but I need you to gain his trust. We are allowing him to believe he is in a hospital, although his injuries are staggering to say the least. Your mission is to gain his trust and attempt to learn who he is and just how much he knows. On the off chance that he is from the Vatican we cannot risk a forceful interrogation. But, if he is one of the nazi scum, then we can use whatever means necessary. Until his identity is secured, we cannot proceed with him. He is in the sublevels of the medical wing, see if you can learn anything then go to sleep. I expect a report of his condition in the morning."

Seras saluted her master's master and quickly turned to leave. It was a relief to know that her job was a relatively simple one before she would be allowed to rest. The stairs leading down to the basement levels of the mansion were still riddled with chunks that had been torn from the stone steps. It was blessedly dark and the lack of light only begged Seras to sleep even more.

Turning down the hall she knew the prisoner would be kept, she smiled at the guards standing outside the door. With a wave, she passed between them and opened up the cell door. The holding cell had been transformed into a miniature medical facility and Seras felt a twinge of sympathy as she soon recognized the wounded man on the bed.

Despite having been cleaned up by the doctors, his body was covered in bloodied gauze to protect his severely burned skin. The man looked like a pile of half cooked meat lying on the bed, almost completely lacking human features besides his actual shape. A heart monitor beeped in a painfully slow pace, although she noticed that it increased in speed as she drew near. A breathing tube had been lodged into his throat and she could hear the wheeze of air being forced in and out of his lungs.

This man was holding onto life by a thread, one which was frayed and nearly snapped in half.

Seras gently sat on the side of the bed, careful not to jostle him. It was hard for her to see him as a possible enemy as he was now. The way the raw, burnt skin on his face was clenched tightly in pain tugged on her heart strings. She wondered if he was human. Of course, he had to be if he wasn't healing rapidly. It had been two days and he seemed to have healed as an average human would.

Seras sucked in her breath when the man slowly opened his eyes, just enough to reveal a narrow slit with pale blue eyes. Those eyes looked so familiar, yet she couldn't put her finger on whose eyes they reminded her of. Even squinting in pain as they were, she could see a defeated sorrow in them.

This was a man who had resigned himself to his fate. There was no fighting spirit left within the body before her.

"You're safe here. The doctors are going to take good care of you. Don't be afraid." Seras whispered quietly, not even needing to pretend in order to take pity on the man. Her job was to gain his trust, but she could already feel that sympathetic need to ease his pain building within her chest.

Those eyes showed no signs of the man having heard her words, merely staring before him. She could already tell that his eyes couldn't see her, he was so tormented by his pain that he was completely unaware of his surroundings.

"I'm sorry, miss. But, we need to take him to surgery. Are you almost done here?" A man's voice startled Seras into turning towards the door. A doctor stood there with a cold expression on his face.

"Of course… If I may ask, what is the surgery for?" She inquired shyly, standing up from the bedside.

"An X-ray revealed what we think is a bullet lodged in his chest cavity. If we don't remove it now, it could work its way to his heart." The man replied, very matter of fact.

Biting her lip, Seras forced herself to leave the room. Perhaps with the bullet out of his chest, the man would be in less pain by tomorrow. And she would be able to talk with him some. For now, though, Seras only wanted to crawl into her coffin….

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are greatly appreciated it. :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Wow thanks for the wonderful reviews :D. I've been sick so I've had plenty of time to write and should have a few more chapters up by the end of the week. I decided to make this a good long addition. And without further ado, Chapter 2!**

**Seras POV:**

Seras felt herself slowly returning to the waking world. The silent darkness offered by her coffin had been exactly what she needed. The silk cushions felt as if they were suctioning her to them, demanding that she stay sleeping just a moment longer. Yet the growling of her stomach finally gave her the last push she needed to open the lid.

It was dark inside her room, but she could still hear people rushing about outside in the hallway. Muffled voices came in and out of hearing range as Seras changed out of her pajamas and into a clean uniform. Pausing in front of her mirror, Seras absentmindedly primped her short blonde hair. It took some tugging and a little hair spray, but she finally managed to tame her bed head.

"Miss. Seras Victoria?," A voice came from the other side of her bedroom door, accompanied by a soft knocking.

"Yes?" She answered, opening the door, "Oh… Doctor?"

To her surprise, Seras found the doctor from yesterday standing outside her door. A flustered expression crossed the man's face as he shoved a clipboard into her hands.

"It's the oddest thing I've ever seen! I've pulled all kinds of odd shrapnel and stuff out of people, but never anything like this." The doctor began to blabber on as Seras stared at the medical chart, it might as well have been in Chinese to her eyes. "I can't imagine how it got there! I mean, something like that! It's blunt and the amount of force it would take for it be lodged that deeply? Extraordinary!"

"I'm sorry… But, I really have no idea what you're talking about…" Seras smiled sheepishly at the man in the white lab coat.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, madam." The man blushed feverishly, "Well, I was informed that the patient in the containment cell was your charge, so I assumed that this would be reported to you."

"The man with the burns? Oh, did you get the bullet out?"

"Well, see that's what I'm talking about. It wasn't a bullet at all. There we were digging around in the poor bastards chest, then finally I managed to get my fingers on the shrapnel. And I'll be damned if it wasn't a bloody tooth! A tooth!"

Seras stiffened, feeling her blood run cold. There was no possible way, that the pitiful creature she had comforted last night was the same monster she had fought and killed just days ago? The Major's werewolf? Taking a deep breath, Seras attempted to calm herself.

"What sort of tooth?" Her voice was cold, but she managed to stifle any shaking that might sneak past her guard.

"Well, Miss, it appears to be a silver tooth, most likely a filling or a false tooth in some poor bastard. The only thing I can imagine putting it in there would be if the man's pal got blown to hell right next to him and the force managed to knock the tooth out of the person's mouth and into our friend's chest. It was probably the same blast that blew his skin to hell.-"

"Silver? You're positive that it was a _silver _tooth? What happened when you removed it?!" Seras' voice had risen in volume and now echoed off the stone walls of the lower levels. The doctor flinched at the fierce change of her voice and the bloody color of her eyes.

"Well, we have him in an induced coma. He has improved considerably since we removed the tooth along with other shrapnel we had found along the way. I haven't checked on him in four hours, but everything is stable." The man swallowed nervously, " The strange part is that the tooth was extremely deep in his chest, barely an inch from puncturing his heart. However the shrapnel was fairly shallow. I just can't make any sense of it."

"So he's asleep?"

"Yes ma'am, until we wake him up."

Seras turned on her heels and jogged down the hall, heading straight for the containment cell. Dread was building within her chest, a fear of the werewolf which had nearly killed her only days before. It felt as if a ghost was haunting her now, knowing that something she though dead could possibly be only a few rooms away from her.

The heavy door of the containment cell loomed ahead and Seras took a deep breath. If this man was who she feared he was, then it was quite possible that he was fully healed and awake. Human sedatives could only affect an inhuman creature so much.

The memory of that hellish man standing before her in the heat of battle caused a cold sweat to form on her palms. The nazi captain had frightened her more than any other monster she had faced. That intense glare of his had been filled with such overwhelming rage, yet he carried himself with perfect poise. He reminded her of her master in a way. However, where Alucard would laugh in hysterics, the Captain would intimidate with his unwavering silence. There was an animal inside that man, one that was just waiting for an excuse to go on a rampage and destroy everything within its path. But unlike most monsters consumed by rage, the Captain had it under total control.

He was terrifying.

Seras phased through the cell door, wanting to avoid any openings for escape. Her eyes settled on the form beneath a thin white sheet. The monitor beeped at the same steady pace it did the night before, accompanied by the wheeze of the breathing apparatus.

Cautiously, Seras stepped forward to see what was beneath the sheet. Blood, bandaged, and gauze were still covering what little she could see of him. But, that only made her worried that there was healing taking place outside of her view.

The heavy door creaked open as the doctor shuffled in behind her, but Seras didn't dare remove her eyes from the battered form on the bed. Slowly she loomed over him and took a closer look at her face, which made her shiver.

It was the captain.

He looked vastly different than he had during their fight. His hair had been completely burnt off, but there was already new hair beginning to cover his scalp. The silver strands were already a quarter inch long and his eyebrows had fully grown back. There were still faint signs of severe burns across his skin, but it was no longer raw meat. He wasn't fully healed yet, but it was only a matter of time.

"Wake him up and get out. If anything comes out the door other than me, shoot it." Seras licked her lips, watching as the doctor obeyed her command.

The man quietly removed an IV drip, probably whatever it was that was keeping the monster in a coma. With the continuous flow of medicine cut off, the doctor then used the now free IV to administer the contents of a syringe from the tray near the bed. He then promptly turned and left, locking the heavy bolts of the door behind him.

Taking a deep breath, Seras leaned forward to continue observing her prisoner. Yes, that's right. He was her prisoner now. Flexing her muscles, the young draculina was painfully aware that his heart beat had begun to steadily grow stronger and faster.

He was waking up.

The werewolf's hand twitched, jerking the sheet partially off his chest. Slowly, his body began to show signs of life. She could see him begin to chew on the tube in his mouth, as if trying to figure out what it was while he was still asleep. Those silver eyebrows, thick and masculine, furrowed into a pained frown as his head lolled to the side.

Seras slowly backed up as the man opened his eyes. The lids covering those ice blue eyes pulled up lazily, the usually intense stare beneath them was instead darting about the room. He was searching for something to see, but was probably still seeing blurs from the medicine. Groggily, his hand dragged up his chest to gingerly finger the tubes in his mouth. The drugs were obviously still very much in control, his fingers clutching at the tubing, but unable to actually grab onto anything.

Seras stepped forward again, holding her breath as his searching eyes finally registered her presence. His eyes were dropping and out of focus, but it was clear that his drugged mind knew she was there. Desparately, he began to claw at the tubes in a futile attempt to remove them from his throat. Seras had to fight back the urge to feel somewhat sorry for him as she could hear the monitor beeping out his distress as his heart raced. This time, he was the one afraid of her.

Before she could stop herself, Seras reached out and firmly clasped his hands in her own. For a moment, he was still and even squeezed her hands as if grateful for the comfort. But, this was a short lived moment as his mind slowly continued to clear the fog caused by the sedatives. He began to try pulling his hands away from her, pushing himself away from her with his legs. It reminded her of a worm, pitifully trying to wriggle away from a bird which had already pecked it once. Did he remember her?

"Can you hear me?" She asked, trying to sound commanding and confident.

The man went rigid at the sound of her voice, icy eyes locking onto her face. There was understanding there, but she suspected he was still in some pain from his injuries. Perhaps the presence of the silver in his body and how long it had been there was slowing the process?

"I'm going to get that tube out of your mouth, okay? Then we can talk a little bit. Now, are you going to behave yourself?" Seras carefully pulled the elastic straps over the back of his head, causing the tube to barely fall away from his mouth.

A horrible gagging sound came from his mouth at the movement and Seras instantly reached out to steady the sagging thing. There was an expression on his face that she had not expected to see there. It wasn't fear, but it also wasn't the rage which she had expected.

"I'm sorry… This might hurt, but it'll feel better when I get it out, alright? I'm not here to hurt you. The war's over. I don't want to fight anymore."

She felt his tense body relax slightly and he strained to open his jaws wider, as if begging her to get it out of him. With a deep breath, Seras bit her lip and pulled on the tubing. At first it caught in his throat as he gagged, but it finally came lose and dragged its way up his throat. The sight of his throat muscles contorting as the tubing was pulled upwards made her skin crawl. Then finally it was pulled free with a sickening, wet plop.

At first, he struggled to keep the contents of his stomach down as he gagged from the abuse inside his throat. Finally, he seemed to get it under control and his chest began to rise and fall in a steady rhythm, though it hitched every three breathes or so.

"Who are you?"

He stayed deathly silent, opening only one eye to watch her. It was obvious that he was hurting, but not enough that it made her want to go easy on him. She was all too aware of how deadly the man was.

* * *

**Hans POV:**

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't think he can talk. He isn't resisting, except for giving me dirty looks. I can't even get a nod or anything! Maybe he doesn't understand English?"

The vampire girl sounded increasingly frustrated as Hans listened from his spot on the bed. After she had kindly removed the tube from his throat, she had been trying to interrogate him. It was rather annoying, actually. That girl had turned out to be even more trouble than he had initially believed. First she was a worthy opponent and had earned his respect as such. When she shoved that silver into his chest and the Major had activated the incinerating blue flames from the FREAK chip, he had seen the little draculina as the bringer of his eternal rest.

For a brief moment as the flames had engulfed him after their battle, Hans had actually smiled at her. She had been a worthy opponent, a fierce fighter; someone he felt proud to say had forced him into his grave. But, she hadn't put him into his grave. Rather, she had done something far worse.

She had saved him.

That cruel female had dragged him from the battle field and brought him back from the brink, condemning him to a life without purpose. Without Millennium Hans had no purpose, he was useless and alone. He had known for over a century that he was the last of his kind and none of Dok's attempts had changed that fact. Hans had always known that there was no way to create a false werewolf as one could a vampire. Werewolves were born, they were not made. His purpose was gone and even the instinctual pull to go and find a mate was a horrible slap in the face. Without the drive to serve the Major, that was the only drive he had left. And it was a hollow feeling to have that desperate need to find a female of his own kind, only to know that he could search every crevice of this planet and not find a single one.

He was supposed to die. They were all supposed to die in the battle of London. The Major had lusted for war, but Hans had always known the fat little man had been obsessed with the Count. Hans could still smell the stench of the male vampire saturating this place, it only fueled his anger. Just so the Major could kill that one vampire, he had promised Hans a glorious death. A worthy end to his lonely and purposeless existence, and he had been given exactly that. A vicious battle between himself and a powerful vampire of an ancient bloodline, she had dealt the killing blow.

Then she had saved him.

She had stolen that sweet slumber from him.

If these people thought he would cooperate with them, they were sorely mistaken. He had nothing to lose and the only reason he remained on this bed, feeling all the cracks in his bones slowly mending themselves, was in the hopes that they would finish the job. They had silver bullets. If he wasn't useful, then they would probably use them.

A woman in a pinstriped suit swaggered into the room, followed closely by the overly happy vampire. Hans was careful to keep his face expressionless. This woman was Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingate Hellsing. He recognized her easily, a woman which demanded respect. Perhaps in another lifetime, he could have been her servant. She certainly had proven herself more worthy of a soldier like him than the Major ever had been. But, her pet vampire had dealt him too severe an insult for that.

"Well, dog. Do you speak English?" Integra asked, her voice commanding his attention.

Hans stared at her without even twitching. Of course he spoke English, did this woman really think he would invade a country without learning their language? All of his comrades had been required to learn English as well, why did she think he was the stupid one of the bunch? It was a bit insulting.

"Wie heißt du? Who are you?" Sir Integra demanded further, the German leaving her tongue as easily as if it were her native language.

Still Hans felt no desire to answer her. Call him stubborn, but he was starting to enjoy frustrating those two females.

"Maybe he's deaf, sir?" The little draculina offered up the solution quietly, as if she was afraid he would hear her. It took some effort to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Had he really lost a battle to such a stupid little girl? She was a young vampire from what the Major had gathered. Now he was starting to wonder if she was even a year old.

Sir Integra snorted at this concept, obviously dismissing it. At least one of the females had a brain inside her skull. Hans was feeling more insulted by the moment. For an organization which prided itself in exterminating monsters, they knew absolutely nothing about werewolves.

He didn't communicate the same way humans did, simply because he wasn't human. A long time ago, when he had had a pack to run with, he had been perfectly able to communicate with them. Werewolves conversed with their pack members telepathically, virtually having a sort of hive mind. They were always connected, even if it was only on an emotional level. The only vocal communication of the wolves were animalistic and physical in nature. They weren't built to speak like humans were, it was really that simple.

"Listen carefully, fleabag. You had better start talking before I strap you down to a slab of silver and leave you to melt… _Slowly_!"

Sir Integra left the room, much like a force of nature left one region to go visit their wrath on another. If she wasn't the master of the draculina, he could have followed her. But, it was too late for that.

"Come on… Please, just nod your head or something? Can't you speak at all?" The little vampire was all but begging him now.

Yeah, he could get used to this. A low snort escaped him as he very deliberately turned away from the object of his irritation.

"Oh bloody hell… I knew you could understand me. You're just being difficult!" Seras accused him from her spot at the foot of his bed.

"Fine," She muttered, suddenly crawling upwards seating herself next to his stomach. He couldn't crane himself far enough around to avoid having her within his peripheral vision now. _Annoying little bitch…_

However, his nose picked up a mouthwatering scent as she leaned forward. What was that? Food? Turning towards the source of the smell, Hans looked carefully at the girl whose face was now a mere foot from his own. She must have something in her pockets somewhere.

A sly smile spread across her face at the sight of his sudden interest.

"What is it? Do you smell something, eh?" She giggled, one hand reaching down into her hip pocket.

Whatever she had in there, it had reminded him how hungry he was. Had they even fed him while he was here? How long had he been asleep anyway? She pulled her hand back up to reveal several strips of fried bacon, their scent beckoning to his nose. Leaning forward, Hans sniffed at the food, then opened his mouth as he moved to snap the food from her hands.

Unfortunately, leaning in that way only reminded him of his cracked ribs and he was too slow. She held her hand out behind her, batting her eyes at him. He could feel his left eye twitch, if he had been fully healed then he would have taken her head off.

"You know, if you're good, I can get you a whole bunch of this. All you have to do is nod your head if you can hear me. So, can you hear me?" She asked, looking at him with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Swallowing, Hans glared at her furiously. The draculina merely raised an eyebrow and wagged the bacon expectantly. Was she actually going to treat him like a dog? Baring his teeth, Hans let a low growl rattle his chest.

"Ahah! You can hear me! But, that's still not a nod," She poked her lower lip out, "Come on now. Just nod or shake your head if you can speak, then I'll get you whatever you want to eat. We've got steak, ham, chicken, sausage, anything you want."

_The bitch drove a hard bargain_… Hans begrudgingly shook his head.

"So you can't speak?"

Good at driving a bargain, but dumb as a post. Again he shook his head.

"Oh… I'm sorry. At least you can understand me, though." She paused, as if needing reassurance that this was the case. Rolling his eyes, Hans nodded.

"Alright, here you go!" Seras held her hand out for him to take the bacon.

"Well, now… How to figure out what you want to eat… Let's see… " She mumbled to herself as he scarfed down the small amount of food. Despite its flavor, the feeling of it going down his raw throat was rather painful. It seemed as if the little vampire had run out of ideas. Why couldn't she just be like the Nazis he had spent the last half a century with, who simply left him alone except to give him orders. They never asked questions, merely let him do what he pleased. As long as he served his purpose, he was free to do whatever he wanted.

"Well, I guess I'll just bring a little of everything. Behave while I'm gone." She faded away, leaving him alone in the cell. Why couldn't they just put a bullet in his heart? But, no… they had to feed him. He would never understand humans.

**Reviews are greatly appreciated :) Things will start moving faster in the next few chapters :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Seras POV:**

Sir Integra Hellsing dragged comfortably from her cigar, the smoke rolling out of her mouth in clouds. The blond haired woman was in an obviously bad mood. Things had not been going her way over the past two days and she had finally been forced to make a difficult choice. Their werewolf prisoner was now fully healed and, although unresisting, was not complying with their demands.

Seras watched her master's master mulling things over in her head. Sir Integra was as unreadable as usual, her thoughts a complete mystery to the draculina. Yesterday had been difficult; Seras had spent the entire day trying to learn something about the captain. But, after the one breakthrough about his ability to speak and understand them, he had shut down. The man was an impenetrable force. Once she had fed him, the captain had even stopped nodding or shaking his head as answers. He simply glared at her, only growling if she came to close or expressed her frustration.

"I found some information on werewolves in our archives," Sir Integra stated casually, peering at Seras over the rim of her glasses.

"Really, sir? What did it say?" Seras finally felt some hope in the situation.

"Not much, werewolves are a virtual mystery even for Hellsing. They may be able to appear human, but unlike vampires they never were human to begin with. They are born werewolves. The species is entirely its own, completely independent of the human race. They are highly intelligent, which is why the mutt can understand us." Integra explained, although she hardly sounded happy about the discovery.

"Wait… So, they were _never_ human?" Seras was surprised, having assumed that they turned from humans.

"Humans could go completely extinct and werewolves would be totally unaffected, whereas vampires would die off shortly after. Their ability to shift form is similar to that of a vampire, but it is little more than a disguise. Even when humanoid, their anatomy is slightly different from that of a real human. A wolf is not made with vocal chords able to converses like humans are. He does not speak to us, because it is impossible for a werewolf to form words verbally as a human would. The transformation from werewolf into human is not a complete change, "Sir Integra flicked the ashes from her cigar.

"However, it is easy to see that they are not merely animals of legend. They are capable of learning and understanding human language, even if they cannot speak it with their mouths. Yet, as a pack it is believed that they are able to communicate somehow. They regenerate cells at a rapid rate, which we already knew. Silver is poisonous for them, which is why the captain took days rather than hours to heal. Even with it removed, it has lingering effects. It is similar to a human being bitten by a venomous snake, but instead of a single dose there is a continuous flow of poison from the silver as long as it remains in their bodies. There are theories about this reaction, but none are proven. The one I found most believable was that there was a chemical reaction between their blood and the silver. The werewolf blood somehow corrodes the silver, causing a poisonous reaction within the body. Theoretically, a poison could be produced from combining werewolf blood and silver and could be used against any organism. No one has ever been able to get a sample of the DNA to try that though."

Seras licked her lips as she absorbed the information her master's master gave her. It was difficult to grasp that the man in the containment cell had never been human. It explained why he never seemed to approve of her actions. Human mannerisms and that of werewolves were probably as different as night and day. But, the information provided was not socially relevant. Had no one ever learned about the culture of the werewolves? Was there even a culture? It was obvious that the imprisoned werewolf was highly intelligent, more so than most humans and probably many vampires as well. Yet Seras felt as if he had no understanding of why she did certain things.

"What are we going to do with him?" Seras forced herself to ask the question, despite dreading the answer.

"We can't kill him. It's possible that Millennium may have used him to experiment. If they have anything similar to the vampire ghouls for werewolves, we could be facing more war in the future. But, we also cannot keep him in that cozy room any longer. We need to make him want to cooperate." Sir Integra was obviously alluding to something and it made Seras very nervous.

"But, sir, what if he just can't? I don't think he fully understands what we want!"

"Be quiet, Police Girl! I have already given the order and you will _not_ undermine me. He has already been moved to a proper cell, one fortified with silver. I will not risk his escape and it is too dangerous to let him remain unbound during our interrogations. He will stay secured during any further questioning. You will stop feeling sympathetic for that animal and start doing your damned job, girl!" Integra snarled the words through her cigar, smoke puffing out with each angry word.

"Yes, sir." Seras murmured, flinching at the sudden anger from the woman.

"Good, now go do whatever you have to in order to get the information from him. He isn't human, Seras. It's time you realized that before you continue treating him like a pet dog. He is a werewolf."

* * *

**Hans POV:**

Hans slowly opened his eyes, blinking to clear his blurred vision. He could remember the human soldiers shooting him with a dart. Now he realized that they had put him to sleep while they moved him into another cell. This one was reinforced with silver, he could smell it through the concrete and steel.

Moving his body, Hans met strong resistance. Chains held him in place, hooked to his wrists and ankles. They were also reinforced with silver. Normal chains would not be an issue, he could simply break them. But, he wouldn't risk another silver fragment being driven into him. These humans were smart; he had to give them that.

The chains on his wrists were anchored to the ceiling and forced him to remain standing, although there was enough slack that he could move forward or backward a step. His arms were cramped from holding most of his weight while he was asleep and they tingled as he straightened his legs.

As if on cue, the door to the cell slowly opened. Hans narrowed his eyes and growled angrily at the little draculina's appearance. This was not her doing, he was smart enough to know that. It was that knowledge which angered him. Here she was, looking at him with those big blue eyes and giving him an apologetic smile. Apologizing to a prisoner for something her alpha did was a major offense. Hans had been without a pack for over a century, but the pack hierarchy was still deeply ingrained in his head. In a strange way, the Major had served as his Alpha for some time. The man had given him a purpose and Hans had easily fallen into the role of his servant. But, the Major had never truly been an Alpha. The pudgy little man had simply given people a means to an end. And people followed him for that, Hans included.

A true alpha would not simply lead based on what they could offer their followers. The Major had offered many things to his followers. Hans had been promised a glorious death. The Major had provided him with a way to let his species finally meet its end. He was the last of his kind, he couldn't simply lie down and die with a whimper. His species deserved to be remembered for what they were, not simply forgotten as they had been. Unlike the parasitic vampires, he could not simply bite a human and rebuild his race. And procreating with a human would only produce a half breed, something incapable of evening transforming into a wolf. At best a half breed would have superior strength, senses, and intelligence than a normal human. But, he would be fooling himself if he thought that was what his species should become rather than accept extinction.

No, the werewolf species was doomed. That was a certainty. Hans was obligated to die in a honorable manner as the last of his species. That was his purpose. He could not simply roll over and die quietly, somewhere alone in a ditch. Death by the hands of this little draculina, fueled with bloodlust as they battled ferociously. That was how it was supposed to end.

But, Seras Victoria had stolen that from him.

Another snarl ripped from his throat as she drew near, making his animosity well known. If she wouldn't put an end to him, then he would put an end to her. That was the only worthy death he could achieve now. To provoke the draculina to finish what she had begun.

But, the wide eyed girl smiling up at him was barely even a shadow of the warrior he had battled just days ago. He barely recognized her without the bloodlust reddening her eyes and that confident stance. This creature before him now could barely pass as the runt twin of the vampire who had defeated him in battle.

_This was not the way his species was meant to meet its end. _

"I'm sorry… About all this… If you would just try to talk with us, then it wouldn't have to be this way. Why do you have to be so stubborn? I know you can't speak like we do, but you could at least try." Seras pleaded with him, her eyes misting red as if she were about to cry.

Was this going to be the final insult? For the person who stole his only wish, to cry for him? Did she really expect him to want to help them in any way? No, if he did that then his species would be forgotten. Yet, if he died here they would also be forgotten. Hans let his head hang, not wanting to look at the draculina before him. How could she be so blind? How could she not see what she had done to him? The chains were not the problem here. She had stolen his death. She had stolen the legacy of his race. There were no more insults left to give. It was over. There would be no more glorious battles between monsters, only unnoticed squabbles between vampires in the shadows.

"If I got you a pen and paper, could you write?"

Hans just ignored the little girl's voice. He would have preferred a snarling, vengeful vampire, than this vampiric runt. She didn't need to sink her teeth into his flesh to drain him of his energy. Just her presence alone was exhausting.

Something cold touched his cheeks. It was soft and gentle, cradling his head as if he were someone precious to them. Had he fallen asleep? No one had touched him like that since his mother had died so long ago. No, these hands were too cold and small to belong to his mother. And the scent accompanied by them was of gunpowder, blood, and a small hint of death. Did she know she was being this cruel to him? No one was this innocent, so innocent that the actions were cruel.

Those icy hands lifted his face upwards, but his eyes were shut. If the vampire was going to be this cruel, then he was going to at least pretend for just a little longer. He wanted to pretend that he was still just a pup and his mother had caught him teasing one of his siblings. She would always grab him by the cheeks and press her forehead against his, staring him in the eyes until he admitted the truth. Then she nuzzle close to him, forgiving him for his wrongs. Hans loved his mother. She had been a force of power to her prey, a source of warmth for her pups, and had always valued intelligence over brute strength. She had taught Hans to be a tactician first and a warrior second. That was why he had outlived his kin and fellow werewolves. He had the critical thinking skills to be more than just a powerful beast, lunging at its prey. He was a hunter and he was patient.

Opening his eyes, he almost expected to see his mother there. But instead of a snow white wolf, he found a runt of a vampire. What would his mother do in this situation?

_Pray. _

That's right, she always prayed. His pack had worshipped the moon as did all werewolves. The moon was their goddess, their source of strength. The moon changed her shape from crescent to full and everything in between. The wolves transformed themselves in honor of their changing goddess. And they sang their prayers and worship to her every night.

Humans called it howling. What a crude and ugly word to describe something beautiful and spiritual. Humans described it as frightening and vampires found it primitive. But, to the wolves it was their praise of the moon. Without their songs, who would praise her? Perhaps when he died and there were no more wolves to howl at the moon, she would wither and die as well?

* * *

Seras held the man's head in her hands, knowing that she was risking being bitten. For several minutes he allowed her to cradle him, as if he were lost in some pleasant memory. Now that she was looking at him up close, she had to admit that he was very handsome.

Now that the silver was gone from his system, his silver hair had grown another two inches. It was shaggy, but appeared to be soft. He had a strong jawline, defined and masculine. Every muscle on his body was toned and maintained to perfection. He was an Adonis if she had ever seen one. It was difficult for her to see him as something other than a man.

Then his eyes snapped open and she froze in place. For a moment, those intense blue eyes glared at her. It was the same look he had given her as they battled only a week ago. That stare was unblinking and harsh, as if he saw every possible detail of her at that very moment. They were the eyes of a hunter.

She opened her mouth to speak, but his lips drew back over his jaws and revealed sharpened teeth. Unlike vampires, it wasn't only his canines which were sharpened. Like a wolf, his teeth were all tapered into points and his molars were jagged like a dog's. Time seemed to freeze as she prepared for those razor teeth to tear into her, shutting her eyes reflexively.

Hot breath rushed over her face, but rather than being followed by teeth, instead a low howl erupted from him. No, it wasn't quite a howl, although it certainly resembled such. Seras felt as if he were crying for someone, his deep baritone climbing the musical scale, until it hit a higher note and was held there for a moment.

It made her skin crawl. There was sorrow in his voice, but also a shaking anger. She could feel the vibration of the sound through his cheeks and the rush of air over her face. Opening her eyes, she stared at him. His head was thrown back, eyes closed, brows furrowed, just howling at the top of his lungs.

When he came to the end of his breath, her ears were ringing. Her hands fell from his cheeks as she stepped away from him, unsettled by the sudden change on his expression. Rather than angry, he seemed oddly peaceful. It was as if that lungful of air had released some of the tension in his mind. Yet, his eyes were still just as intense as ever.

"I'm sorry…Really, I am truly sorry," Seras whispered, staring at the man's nose rather than meeting his gaze.

Bared teeth and a loud snarl was the only reply she got as she quickly fled from the cell, followed by a feral roar which echoed down the halls.

* * *

**Chapter 4 will be done in a few more hours. This one ended up being mostly informational about werewolves and their beliefs(leave a review and let me know if you guys like my spin on the werewolves' spirituality!) Next chapter is going to offer some much need action and drama :D. I look forward to your reviews and should have the next chapter up later tonight!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Germany, 17****th**** century:**

It had been a difficult winter and the pack were all several pounds lighter than they had been the previous year. It had been the harshest winter Hans had ever seen, although he had been told by the elder wolves that it was only moderate for their mountainous location. They had all huddled together during the frigid nights in the den which had housed their kin and even their ancestors for generations. Three of his siblings had died of the cold, leaving him as the only pup left in the pack.

At first he had cried and mourned the loss of his playmates and siblings, especially his brother. The oldest of the pack had also passed quietly during the winter, his body had been frozen stiff when they awoke the morning of his death. The pack had sung a lamentation for each of their beloved kinsmen which had now gone to join the moon, adding to her light. The mournful songs had been the only sound during the frosty nights and the moon goddess had even paled her light, as if mourning the deaths of her earth children.

'_Hans, do you know why we sing to the Moon?'_

His mother cradled him in her paws, her warm nose prodding him from his slumber. Looking up at her, he rolled onto his back and rested his snout against her silky fur. She was as pure white as the snow, with golden eyes which mirrored the moon itself. His mother was tall and lean, with a beautiful slender face and pointed snout. He looked like her, despite being an undeveloped pup still needing his food brought to him.

'_The Moon is our goddess. She made the first of the wolfkin in ancient times. She is our Moon Mother.'_

Hans had been told this fact from the day of his birth. His aunts and uncles, older brothers and sisters, and his parents had told him every day since he could remember. His mother leaned down and rested her head over his body, covering him in her warmth. Only his head was poking out from her fur and he could see that her ear was pricked towards him.

'_Yes, but that is not why we sing to her. It is far more beautiful and intimate than that, my geliebte hundchen.'_

* * *

**Present **

**Hans POV:**

Frigid water violently tore Hans from his pleasant dreams. He came to consciousness snarling and fighting savagely against his bindings. The water in his eyes blurred his vision, but he felt his elbow connect with flesh and bone. He continued to thrash, the shackles on his wrist breaking his skin as the metal groaned with the force of his strength. The silver reinforcement was a dull burn as it entered his bloodstream, but it wasn't strong enough to do much damage. However, he was aware that his wrists were not healing as they should.

Blinking the water from his eyes, Hans found himself glaring at three soldiers all dressed in Hellsing attire. One was holding onto his side, probably what Hans had managed to hit in his thrashing. A deep, guttural snarl tore from his mouth and drowned out the cursing insults from the soldiers.

"Shut the fuck up, nazi piece of shit!"

A flash of grey caught him in the jaw and snapped his head upwards, a hollowing ringing sound coming from a metal pipe. Hans snarled and lunged forward, wanting nothing more than to rip the hearts from these humans. A load groan from the straining chains bounced off the walls as he leaned as far as the bindings would allow, jaws snapping at his aggressors.

Again the metal pipe smashed into his cheek, causing him to bite his tongue and drool blood. At least the pipe was copper and not silver, they had probably found it in the rubble somewhere. Hans growled menacingly, his bruised cheek and bitten tongue already healing rapidly.

"Dumbass, that thing ain't gonna hurt him. He's a monster, you have to beat him like one."

Hans snapped his jaws within inches of the filthy creature which ducked down just far enough so that the chains prevented him from leaning down and tearing his throat apart. He twisted his body as far away from the human as the chains would allow, straining against the reinforced metal bindings.

A sharp pain stopped his struggles. Sucking in his breath, Hans gasped as a searing pain shot through his side, as if his kidney had just imploded. No matter how many times he was stabbed, knives still hurt him. But, this wasn't any knife he had ever felt before. It was jagged and burned like silver, turning his very blood into fire.

The men laughed and smiled, yanking the silver from his side and holding it up for him to see. It looked like a piece of shrapnel, jagged and torn. But, he could smell the silver and feel it preventing his side from healing. He winced as the silver was used to pierce through his thigh, causing him to topple and hang from his wrists.

Hans forced himself to retreat mentally, not willing to give the men the pleasure of seeing him in pain. He grit his teeth and shut his eyes, forcing himself to remain quiet with each new wound. These were the men that called him a monster? It made no sense to him. He was who he was. He had been born Hans and he would die Hans, a werewolf. The irony of the slurs they called him as they tortured him with the silver weapon and beat him with the pipe and their fists was not lost on him.

_It was still easier to take than what the runt draculina did to him._

He just needed to be patient, wait until they got sloppy. Even with the silver, he wouldn't die from this. They had yet to pierce an organ and the silver wasn't staying in his body long enough to do more than slow the healing temporarily. He would be healed in less than three hours once they were done.

_Then he would tear them apart so that their family wouldn't have so much as a toenail to bury._

* * *

**Germany, 17****th**** century**

Hans trotted along behind his father, looking wide eyed at everything within sight. It was the first time he had been allowed to go on a hunt and he was eager to earn his place among the pack. His father was a grey wolf with a white underbelly and face. He stalked silently along the worn path, which Hans knew his ancestors had used to hunt centuries before.

The grey wolf leaned down, sniffing the earth as he continued to walk forward. Hans imitated this action, shoving his nose down to the ground and inhaling. The scents of the forest were overwhelming and he wasn't sure which one to focus on.

'_Don't linger, hundchen. You don't have to ponder the meaning of every fume. Find the scent of your prey and ponder it alone, nothing else matters.'_

Hans followed his father's advice and took in the scents of the earth. A badger had waddled across this path some time ago, birds had landed to pluck insects from the soft ground, and a new smell he did not recognize. Pondering this scent, Hans picked the scent of bark, moss, and grass accompanying the unknown animal.

'_A herbivore, Vater?'_

'_Ja, mein hundchen, a herbivore. Take us to him, Hans. Lead the way.'_

Snuffling the ground with his snout, Hans loped down the trail with his father trotting closely at his heels. The stronger the scent became, Hans began to notice tracks in the soil. Their prey was not overly large, particularly for their kind. But, Hans was secretly relieved at this, after all it was only he and his father on this hunting trip. Usually, a hunt would consist of the entire pack, save for one subordinate wolf left to guard the den. But, a pups first hunting adventure was a mile stone in a werewolf's life and so Hans and his father were alone on the trail. It was a learning experience, one which many fathers, mothers, and their pups had done before them since the dawn of the species.

'_Slow down, Hans. They are not far now. We must circle them and approach downwind or they will scatter too soon.'_

Coming to a halt, Hans obeyed his father and angled his movements away from the scent. As he moved away from the trail, he realized that the scent was still lingering in the air. This was not the smell of a trail, but rather a fresh perfume of living animals. The two wolves continued circling their prey, only moving towards them once the breeze kissed their faces and moved their scent away from the herbivores.

'_Patience, hundchen. We have all the time in the world, there is no need to hurry. Hunters are both invisible and unheard by their prey, we are the last force these creatures shall experience on this earth. In order for us to feed ourselves and our kin, we must sacrifice the lives of our prey. Remember, mein hundchen, they have kin too. We do not take the females carrying their young, or there will be no prey next year. Find the old and the weak, those who shall not survive another winter. Allow the strong to continue, so that our prey do not migrate elsewhere.'_

Hans mused over his father's words as they slowly crawled forward on their bellies, a small group of ibex chewing grass in a clearing of the forest. Hans had never seen an ibex before, a good sized herbivore with horns and sturdy legs. The males were easy to spot, as they had larger horns than the females. Several of their young bounced around and kicked at each other, too busy playing to eat. These creatures were not so different from the wolfkin. They had young, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and beloveds.

Hans surveyed the group from their vantage point, knowing from his father's silence that the choice was his. His nose told him that an older female was well beyond her ability to produce young and he could hear her joints creak as she hobbled among the other females. She was obviously their matriarch, the oldest female. But, she had served her purpose in life. And her death would not be in vein. Rather than wither away slowly, eventually left by her kin when she could no longer keep up their pace, she would die in battle and become the life force of the pack.

'_That's right, mein hundchen. That female will not last the season, her legs hurt when she walks. Her time has come, now she will be our food and nourish the wolfkin. Do not forget this cycle, Hans. We all have a purpose to serve, when we have done so, then it is our time to pass and nourish the earth. That is life. Do not fear death, Hans. Do not fear dealing death and do not fear being dealt death; that is what it means to be wolfkin.'_

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Seras ran down the hall towards the cell, having heard the alarm that the prisoner was attempting escape. Other soldiers rushed to load their guns with the silver bullets needed to put their enemy down. Despite having grown oddly fond of the strange werewolf over the past few days, Seras knew how dangerous he was.

He was still the same werewolf which had pushed her to her limits in battle, nearly killing her. She was not alone this time and everyone was equipped to battle the werewolf. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from dreading having to fight the man. It wasn't her fear of his strength, but rather that she felt guilty.

He had been chained up with metal that was laced with silver. And the mournful howls she had heard from him only made him seem more appealing to him. His howling had not struck her as something coming from an animal. Instead, it had reminded her of weeping. As if howling was some form of crying for the werewolf, or perhaps it was a sad song?

Seras tried to get a hold of herself, reminding herself that she would most likely be battling him in just a few moments. The cell was already in view, the entire remaining forces of Hellsing with their guns aimed at the door. She stopped outside and gazed expectantly at the men, waiting for a report.

"He attacked three men, miss. The thing bit one and he… it killed one… They were trying to bring him some food and the brute just went wild."

Seras sucked in her breath, watching as a medic desperately tried to stop bleeding coming from a man's neck. It looked as if a bear had torn part of it off and blood spurted from his mouth as he gasped for breath. She could already hear the man's heartbeat slowing as he bled out.

"Stay here," Seras ordered, phasing through the door.

The werewolf had broken one of the chains binding his wrists and he was struggling to reach the body of a soldier. The soldier was torn to shreds, his leg bent in an impossible way and she could see a hand lying in a bloody pool five feet from the body. The werewolf was tugging on his still bound wrist, jaws snapping wildly at the dead body on the floor. His eyes were no longer blue, but a strange amber color which shown gold as they reflected the light.

He went deathly still as he took notice of her, those wild eyes watching her with distrust. Had he done this much damage with just one free hand and his jaws? The body on the floor was hardly recognizable as human other than the shredded uniform. It looked more a crushed skeleton with raw meat torn into pieces by teeth and the organs slowly oozing out from a huge bite to the gut. He had practically eaten this man alive.

"What have you done?"

A savage snarl was her answer, a string of bloody drool falling from his mouth. He was covered in gore, as if he had wallowed in the corpse on the floor. He threw himself against the chains, straining to reach her as he snapped his jaws and let out a deafening roar.

But, Seras noticed he was favoring his right leg, despite having freed the arm on that side. It made no sense. All he needed to do was lean down on that side in order to yank free from the other chain. Unless…

"You're leg… What did they do to you?"

The werewolf froze mid snap, jaws going slack and regarding her with a distrusting glare. Studying him carefully, Seras realized the he had been stabbed several times and the fingers of his right hand looked as if someone had smashed them with something blunt and heavy. The joints were twisted and broken in a mangled mess, he couldn't even close that hand. Why wasn't he healing? Was it the silver present in the cell?

"I'm not here to fight. I can see what they did to you. You were protecting yourself, right? Let me look at them," She made her voice sound determined and stepped forward bravely into the invisible boundary of his reach.

There was a tense moment where she could see a flash in his eyes which told her he was seriously considering killing her the same way he had the corpse on the floor. But, he held himself back and resisted the attack. Slowly, she took another step toward him, then another, and another, until she was just inches from him. The werewolf watched her with wary eyes and a pained expression as she knelt down to examine his leg.

Gently, she pulled at the tear in the fabric of his pants to get a better look at the puncture wound in his thigh. It was jagged and deep, as if he had been stabbed and the knife was twisted around and shoved deeper. This was not a wound from a soldier defending himself, it was something done purely to inflict as much pain as possible.

Seras looked up into the eyes of the werewolf. He was watching her carefully, but his eyes had returned to the pale blue she recognized. He wore that typical blank expression, but she could see tightness in his jaw and a faint wrinkle between his eyebrows that betrayed him. He was in pain and his wounds weren't healing as they should.

Turning back to the wicked looking puncture in his thigh, Seras watched as the blood poured from what she thought might be an artery from how much gushed from it with each beat of his heart. She had never been allowed this close to him and even with the smell of the human corpse next to them, his scent was intoxicating. It was earthy, with a masculine musk that whispered of hard work, and an undertone of crisp mountain air. The smell of a man used to freedom. And his blood… It smelled sweeter than anything she had ever encountered before. Unique in a way that she could not describe, making her decide that it must just be a scent only found in werewolf blood.

It drew her forward, prompting her to ignore the warning growl which vibrating from his diaphragm. Gently, she let her tongue test some of the blood which had dripped down onto his the skin just beneath the fresh wound. He stiffened as she licked up his leg and over the puncture wound, savoring the flavor of his blood. It was sweeter than human blood, but with an undertone of something she could only compare to wild game that she had sometimes eaten as a human.

Gently, she worked her way up his body, licking each jagged stab wound as she went. He slowly relaxed, letting his head sag as he took deep breaths. As she reached his chest, she felt his head against her shoulder. He allowed it to rest there as she lapped at a gash on his collarbone, his soft silver hair tickling her neck.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered as she dared to run her fingers through his hair, almost surprised that he allowed her to do so.

"I'll try to explain things to Sir Integra, but I don't know what good it'll do. But, I'll do everything I can. Just please, please forgive me. Trust me…" She whispered into his ear as he leaned against her, one arm still suspended above his head by the chains. He was trapped here in this cell with armed soldiers outside the door. But, she felt a connection with him. Despite how distant and blatantly unreceptive of her attempts at helping him before, she felt pity for him as he let his head rest against the nape of her neck. She could feel him trembling from the pain of his wounds, which she suspected had been inflicted with silver. Hellsing was supposed to protect people from monsters, but their soldiers had teased and tortured a bound, unarmed prisoner. Was he really the monster here?


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Germany, 18****th**** century**

Hans stood next to his father as the pack gathered around the Alpha. Their Alpha was a massive black wolf who had taken leadership over the pack when the previous Alpha grew weak. The dark wolf hummed his approval of their attention as he held his head high. The night was warm and the Moon Mother bathed the entire pack in her light.

'_Mein wolfkin, we have thrived upon these hunting grounds for centuries, just as our ancestors before us. This is our land! We have all seen the signs of invasion. Another pack of wolfkin have crossed our borders and partaken of our prey, causing our pups to go hungry.'_

The Alpha's voice was explosive and angry. The pack barked and growled their approval of his words; Hans sat on his haunches and listened quietly next to his father. Their hunting parties had been finding the devoured corpses of their prey for weeks now, unable to find food for themselves as the other pack drove prey from their lands.

'_We will sit idle no more! To invade the land of our pack is to declare war upon the native wolfkin. Two packs cannot be sustained by these grounds. We must drive away these trespasser or be driven away ourselves. Will you, mein wolfkin, allow yourselves to be driven from our sacred hunting grounds?'_

Hans snarled along with his fellow wolfkin, feeling the moonlight invigorate his body. He was not as large as the older males of the pack, but he was no pup either. The Alpha looked them each in the eye as he paced back and forth before the pack.

'_Then we go to war, mein wolfkin! For our lands and our offspring and their offspring's offspring, we must not waver or our descendants will have no home.'_

As the Alpha came to the end of his war speech, he threw back his head and howled to the Moon Mother. Hans joined his brethren as they sang to the Moon Mother to lend them strength for the coming battle. They howled for the Moon Mother to enforce the strength of the pack who truly deserved this land.

'_Moon Mother's will be done! We go to war, mein wolfkin!'_

* * *

**Present **

**Hans POV:**

It was humiliating to have his wounds licked by his enemy, but he could not help being comforted. Did the draculina know what she was doing to him? Licking the wounds of another was an intimate action to the werewolves, something typically done between loving mates. It was instinctual for him to feel comforted by the actions of the vampire, but his mind told him she was merely sampling his flavor.

Hans allowed his forehead to rest against her slender shoulder, allowing himself to soak in this familiar form of comfort which he had not felt in centuries. Yes, if he closed his eyes, it felt just like when his mother licked his wounds after battle when he was just a gangly adolescent wolf. That intimacy and kindness of the action gave him strength.

He felt her cold fingers run through his hair as she licked a painful spot on his collarbone. He wished she wouldn't do such a human thing to him, it ruined his fantasies. It was far too easy to slip into a dream of his pack and forget where he was. It was so easy to forget he was alone when she did things like this. But, once she began a human interaction, the illusion was destroyed.

Coming back to his senses, Hans lifted his head and watched the runt vampire step back. His blood stained her lips, but he felt no anger towards her. Perhaps she truly was that innocent. This girl, Seras Victoria, was so innocent that her ignorance made her cruel. Why was he so lost in the past in this place? He had not dreamt of his family in centuries or thought of them while he was awake. Yet, here in the Hellsing estate it was as if the memories were closer to him.

Hans could feel his body beginning to heal; it would be less than an hour before he was back to normal. He could stay here any longer. His species would not meet its end here, no it would linger on with him for a while longer. It would cling to existence by a frayed thread until he met a worthy end. Dying here as a prisoner, tortured to death, was not an option.

It had been over two centuries since Hans had held his true form constantly, having needed to stay appearing human for convenience. It was then that transformation ceased being a spiritual thing between the wolfkin and the Moon Mother and turned into a means of survival as humans began hunting them.

He felt so unnatural in this human form, despite the convenience of it. The small vampire watched him with uncertainty in her blue eyes, as if she recognized that he had reached a resolution. He stared in her in the eye, baring his teeth silently.

* * *

**Seras POV:**

It was unnerving looking into the eyes of the battered werewolf. He had his teeth bared, but Seras felt as if it wasn't necessarily a display of aggression. Actually, she was almost certain it was an expression of something completely different from aggression. She had spent some time studying wolves and their habits after their last encounter. Dominant wolves would bare their teeth at a subordinate pack member, with their eyes forward and making eye contact. It was a display of acceptance while also demonstrating power over the subordinate.

"Are you accepting me?" She asked, uncertain of what she should do in order to not offend what she thought might be a somewhat friendly gesture.

Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he slowly nodded his head and allowed his lips to cover his teeth again. He had never shown his teeth to her without a snarl to accompany it. So he was accepting her, but not quite as an equal? Despite being battered, stabbed, and chained in a cell he was still displaying dominance. And he was letting her know that he felt he was stronger than her.

A shiver ran down her spine as her thoughts swirled around her head like a tornado. If he stayed as he was, Sir Integra would most likely have him executed for killing her soldiers. And if she set him free, then she would be committing treason against the Hellsing organization, and, in Integra's eyes, the church and the Queen. She was torn between what she felt was right and what she knew would be seen as wrong.

"I can't release you. They would see it as an act of treason," She stated as the man met her gaze with unwavering intensity.

"But, if you were to escape and overpower me when I tried to stop you… The soldiers have silver bullets in their guns. They will shoot to kill."

The man simply watched her in silence, those blue eyes boring into her soul. She was about to commit treason against her queen and country, all for a man whose name she didn't even know. She took a deep breath, praying that she was making the right choice.

Reaching up, she grabbed hold of the shackle around his left wrist and squeezed it. The metal groaned, then shattered beneath her strength. His freed arm fell to his side as he stood there, watching her. He was extremely tall, towering over her by at least two feet. Would he die during his escape? Would she be tried for treason?

Suddenly, he jerked away from her and with an explosion of white fur and torn cloth, he transformed into the massive white wolf she remembered from their battle. He reached down with his massive jaws and easily shattered the chains on his hind legs, spitting the silver laced metal from his jaws like one would spit venom from a wound.

For a moment, he stood and looked at her. Even as a wolf, she barely came to his shoulders. Now that she had the chance to actually admire his wolf form, she saw that he was just as handsome a wolf as he was a man. His head was angular, with a long tapered snout. His legs were long with large paws and his chest as broad with an almost mane like amount of silver fur covering it. His back and waist were leaner, with a beautiful tail.

He pricked his ears forward, meeting her gaze and suddenly baring his teeth. The expression looked far more vicious like this than when he appeared human. Another display of dominance, but also of acceptance. Perhaps they would meet again on better terms someday?

As she pondered this he suddenly leapt forward and she screamed as his jaws unexpectedly tore into her side. He tore a massive chunk out of her shoulder and threw her to the floor like a ragdoll. She coughed blood as he pinned her to the ground, giving her a very deliberate glance.

Then he was gone from her line of sight, bursting through the cell doors as if they were merely made of wood. Seras could hear the yells of the soldiers and the gunfire, but they were drowned out by the snarls of the werewolf.

She understood now. He had attacked her to make it appear as if she had tried to stop him. She had saved him and he had saved her. She couldn't help but let a small smile tug her lips upward as her body began to heal rapidly.

* * *

**Hans POV:**

He burst through the heavy door of his cell, knocking it off its hinges and crushing several soldiers beneath it. The hallway erupted into gunfire as he tore through the ranks of the soldiers. Stinging silver bullets bit into his skin, but none lodged in his flesh. These soldiers had sloppy aim, unlike him.

Hans ripped any body parts that came within reach from their bodies, bathing the floor with human blood. Bloodlust was sending huge amounts of adrenaline through his system, blocking out the pain of his previous wounds. It had been so long since he had done battle in his wolf form against many foes. While serving in Millennium he had only transformed into his true body for difficult battles. But, now he was as he was meant to be.

The wolfkin were the ultimate predator and Hans was an example of an alpha male of his kind. He was larger than the average male of his kind, just as he had been the largest of his litter. It meant he was naturally dominant in nature as well as stronger. Humans with silver bullets could not put an end to him.

Hans crashed through the hall and up the stairs, bullets biting his flesh as he ran. All that mattered now was escape. The battle itself could wait, the humans were not fit to be his opponents anyway. For now he would go back to the forest and wait until it was the right time to return.

Hans leapt through the first window he saw, glass shattering everywhere and several shards embedding themselves into his shoulders. There was grass and soil beneath his feet and when he looked up, the Moon Mother was in her full state and shining her blessing down upon him. Racing away from the Hellsing estate, Hans threw his head back and howled to the sky.

'_Guard me from the silver, Moon Mother. I will be patient and wait to do battle. May your all shining will guide me.'_

His voice ended and he continued to run towards the shelter of the looming forest. It had been far too long since he had followed the teachings of his kind and sought the Moon Mother's guidance in his life. He was so close to the forest, almost there.

_ Then the light was gone._

He felt a white hot pain in his belly as a bullet lodged itself in his gut and another exploded into his hip and shattered the bone. He pitched forward and fell violently to the ground, tumbling and sliding until his momentum finally stopped. He whimpered as he attempted to stand, but his shattered hip would not allow his rear legs to work properly. Gritting his teeth, Hans forced himself to stand on his front legs and drag his rear towards the forest. There was enough distance between himself and his pursuers for him to make it into the forest and find a hiding place to lay and lick his wounds.

The moon had been blocked by dark clouds. Had she not seen the bullets coming for him? Or perhaps she was angry that he had not prayed to her in over a century? Desperately, Hans struggled to reach the forest before the Hellsing soldiers could catch up to him.

His strength was draining fast as he finally made it into the shade of the trees. The soldiers were hot on his trail, but they had not caught up to him yet. There was still a chance he could escape. His tongue hung out of his mouth, panting for air as his lungs burned hot from his efforts. The forest was dead silent, the animals within it hiding from the sudden intrusion on their land.

Hans looked up into the sky, eyes searching for the moon hidden by the clouds. Surely the Moon Mother wouldn't watch him, the last of her earth children, die like this? He wasn't ready to pass on from this world. It wasn't the right time and so he struggled on, dragging himself deeper into the forest.

Twigs snapped and leaves crunched beneath the feet of his pursuers, but they had yet to spot him. It had been a long time since humans had caused him so much trouble and at the rate things were going, it might be the last. The last of his strength was being sapped as his forelegs began to shake with exhaustion. Hans looked around, searching for somewhere to hide. Then, a ray of moonlight caught his eye. The light came through the trees and revealed a small cave beneath the roots of an ancient oak tree. He would have never seen it without the light. Silently thanking his goddess, Hans made his way towards the cave with renewed energy. He would heal himself for now. Revenge would come later.


	7. Chapter 6

**Okay, this chapter is going to contain a little fluff between Hans and Seras. But, some sad flashbacks for Hans(I'm so mean to him D': ). Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)**

**Chapter 6**

**Seras POV:**

"I am holding you personally responsible for the werewolf's escape, Police girl. I put my trust in you and allowed you to oversee his care and security," Sir Integra slammed her fist into the desk, biting her cigar in half, "Goddammit, Seras! Do you realize how serious this is?!"

Seras remained silent, afraid of what would happen if her master's master discovered the truth of the matter. That it was not just a lack of attention on her part, but rather that she had set him free. She had been so relieved when the soldiers returned without the body of the werewolf.

"Seras Victoria, I do not have the resources to send the forces I would like after him. So I will send you. The deaths of my men last night is on your hands." Sir Integra growled, pulling another cigar out but not lighting it just yet.

Seras quickly turned to leave when her master's master did not continue the conversation. She could feel Sir Integra Hellsing's anger filled gaze boring a hole into her back. Guilt welled up in her gut at the thought of the men who had died last night. The werewolf had torn them to pieces, the body parts posing as an impossible puzzle to solve in order to provide them with a proper burial.

"Seras," She stopped with her hand on the doorknob at the sound of Integra's voice, "Don't come back until you have that werewolf's head on a fucking silver platter…"

* * *

**Germany 18****th**** century**

Hans trotted along behind his pack, eyes searching the surrounding forest for any signs of the enemy. The moon was full and bright and the leaves were silent in the darkness of the night. All was silent on the mountain, as if anticipating the bloody battle which was about to come.

The Alpha was at the head of the pack, his massive dark form loping at a sift pace and his teeth bared. The crisp night air felt like ice with each breath Hans took as he worked hard to match the pace of the larger adults. He was the youngest of the war party and half the size of the others. Three females had remained behind at the den to watch over their pups. The females without young pups had joined the group, his mother included.

Every wolf was ready for battle, bloodlust radiating through the pack like a tidal wave. They were in perfect synchronicity with each other and the Alpha was in total control. They were closing in on their rivals, the scent of the enemy wolfkin thick in the woods around them.

The Alpha slowed to a brisk trot, which the rest of the pack mimicked perfectly. Hans stuck close to his parents, having never been in battle with others of his kind before. It was common for there to be disputes among pack members, but Hans had only witnessed the death of the previous Alpha when their current Alpha had taken control. A fight for the title of Alpha male or female either ended in death or exile for the loser, most would rather have death than be forced to live the life of a rogue.

'_Hold your head high, Hans. We fight for our hunting grounds tonight. If we die tonight, it will be glorious and honorable.'_

His father nipped his flank, reinforcing the order. Obediently, Hans did as his father told him too. He knew how to hunt and hot to fight, that was not an issue. His apprehension was of taking the life of a fellow wolfkin, even if they were strangers.

Sensing his lingering uncertainty, his mother slowed her pace until they were shoulder to shoulder. Her beautiful eyes stayed fixed on the path before them, but she purposefully walked too close so that their shoulders bumped together every few strides.

'_Mein hundchen, fear has no place in our world. There is nothing to fear in death. If we die, then we will provide life for others and will join the Moon Mother. If we deal death, then we will provide life for ourselves. It is the natural way of things. Be brave, Hans.'_

She sped up her stride and joined his father as Hans forced himself to put aside his apprehension. A warning growl from a wolf on the flank of the pack signaled the approach of their rivals.

Hans felt a shiver run down his spine as the Alpha unleashed a roar which seemed to shake the mountain and it was answered by one of equal ferocity. Then he saw the other wolves burst from the shadows, a pack of darker pelted wolfkin with rounded faces and shorter snouts than those of his on pack.

Hans bared his teeth and threw his weight forward as the two tidal waves of teeth, claws, fur, and muscle crashed together in a mass of blood and howls. Hans felt the air knocked out of his lungs as he collided with a dark brown wolf which he instantly recognized as a female. She overpowered his momentum and sank her teeth into back, shaking her head and tearing the flesh.

With an angry snarl, Hans shoved his shoulder against her, knocking her from his back. For a moment, they circled each other, then she lunged for him again. This time he was prepared and ducked low as she went high, the flash in her eyes showed that she saw her mistake just as he clamped his jaws into her neck. She cried when he cut off her air supply as they fell to the ground, the female kicking at him frantically to release her neck. He knew he should break her neck and move on, but he hesitated.

Large jaws clamped onto the back of his neck, the weight of another wolf forcing him to the ground. He released the female as he was rolled onto his back and found himself pinned by a large male wolf. He was a deep grey with a white underbelly and black snout, eyes a bright gold. His teeth were coated in blood as he snapped at Hans' neck. The younger wolf shoved upwards with his forelegs, keeping the gaping jaws from ripping out his throat by mere inches.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

Hans felt himself waking up as sunlight shown through some space between the rocks and tree roots which made up the roof of his temporary shelter. Everything was silent, as if the creatures of the forest sensed his presence. A low groan escaped his lungs as he tried to sit, the silver bullet lodged in his hip shooting sharp pain up his side.

Giving up, Hans let himself slump back to the cool dirt of the cave floor. His belly still reminded him of the bullet which had pieced through him last night as well, but as he craned his neck he could see the exit wound on his other side. But, he wouldn't heal with the silver still inside him. If both bullets had lodged within him he would have died during the night. Even now, he felt the steady stream of toxic silver mixed with his blood burning through his veins.

His silver fur was caked in blood, dirt, and matted from sweat. Looking towards the entrance of the small cave, he could see the blood trail from when he dragged himself here in the night. If anyone found that trail, it would be easy to find him.

His eyes felt heavy, begging for more sleep.

* * *

**Germany, 18****th**** century**

The battle was over as soon as it had begun. Hans lay on his side, waiting for his wounds to heal. They were taking longer than normal and had forced him to watch the battle rage on as the other wolves thought him dead.

Hans was shaking.

A few feet away Hans watched as their Alpha thrashed beneath the rival Alpha, two massive wolves locked in battle. But, Hans knew the fight was already one. Their rivals were stronger and had easily overpowered the pack. He watched as his Alpha's throat was ripped open, the other wolf snapping and shaking at his neck until it was separated from his body with a sickening crack.

What was left of his pack ceased their fight, feeling the loss of their leader.

The new pack in control of the hunting grounds of Hans' ancestors gathered together and howled in celebration. They did not mourn their dead.

Soft white fur blocked his vision and Hans whimpered as his mother limped to him. There was blood caked in the silky fur around her neck, flanks, and her left foreleg was twisted in an unnatural angle. Her head hung low and her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth, panting with exhaustion. With a soft sigh, she lay down next to him and gently licked the bite wound on his neck.

'_Mutter, what will happen to us?'_

His mother stayed silent as she cleaned the blood and dirt from his fur, like she had done when he was a newborn. It was strange, since she had not done so since he was old enough to hunt. Nearly five decades. He felt the vibration of her comforting hum as she draped her head over his shoulders and rest against him.

'_Mutter?'_

He could feel her breathing, but she was far too still. Hans tried to move, but she bit into his shoulder to discourage this. She was acting so strange. Craning his neck, Hans tried to survey the carnage surrounding them.

Then his eyes fell onto a still form which was far too familiar. The dead wolf had his throat torn out and he was missing tufts of fur in various places. But, even as mangled as the body was, Hans would recognize his father anywhere.

He was dead.

'_Mein hundchen, you can't stay here. Our time here has passed. Leave while they still let you.'_

Hans couldn't hold back the whine which came from his throat as his heart constricted with sorrow. The bodies of his father, aunts, uncles, friends, and their Alpha littered the earth around him. Everything he had ever known was shattered. The wolfkin he had known since birth now lay mutilated on the ground, their blood sinking into the soil.

His mother kissed his cheek, her tongue leaving a bloody trail of saliva in his fur. She nuzzled her snout next to him, humming comfortably as he whimpered and pressed himself against her warmth. They stayed that way for a while, their enemies having left to celebrate victory. But, her comforting hum soon stopped and Hans realized he could no longer feel her warm breath against his face.

'_Mutter?'_

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Seras found the trail far too easy for her liking and it did not sit well with her. She could smell his blood and had been finding what looked like places where a large, heavy body had been dragged in the dirt. Tufts of silver fur were snagged on branches and briars here and there. And the blood… Either his stab wounds had reopened when he started running or he had been shot.

She as relieved that the soldiers did not try to find him and left the job to her, they were in no hurry to face the werewolf which had killed half of them in minutes. The little vampire walked in the dark forest, her red eyes seeing as well as if it were night. The werewolf had had nearly twenty-four hours to put a great distance between himself and Hellsing, but Seras feared the worst as she found more and more blood on his trail.

Then a fresh scent of the wolf caught her attention. He was somewhere nearby. Seras could smell him and his blood hanging thick in the air as she stood next to a large oak. The draculina sniffed the air as she stepped down from the roots of the tree and onto the mossy soil below. The trail seemed to end here, which meant he was somewhere very close by.

She turned around and faced the tree again, her nose telling her he was there but her eyes saying that he wasn't. Then she realized that there wasn't any earth beneath the roots of the old tree. As she examined it closer, she realized that there was small opening with enough space to crawl through. The werewolf would have a tight squeeze to fit through the opening, but as she peered into it she could see that it was larger inside.

Seras crawled on her hands and knees into the small den like cavern. It was about three feet wide and two feet tall at the entrance, but once inside it was twice that. The roots of the tree provided a spider web which held heavy stones and earth up, while providing plenty of space for even a large werewolf to pick their way through it.

A low growl echoed through the space as she made her way deeper into the cavern, sending relief through her body.

"It's just me. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone where you are," She reassured the heap of silver fur which she could now see sprawled out in an open space where two large roots had pressed the roof of the cavern upward to provide even more space.

He heaved out a heavy breath, a small puff of dust blowing across the dirt floor from his nose. His blue eyes watched her, appearing very tired. As she crawled towards him the giant wolf growled in warning, but did little else to ward off her approach.

"Oh hush, I know your just a sweet bundle of fur deep down. Now quit trying to sound like the big bad wolf and let me help you," Seras chided as she came to a stop next to the large wolf.

He snorted in response, but allowed her to sit next to him. Seras gently reached out and ran her fingers through the fur on the back of his neck, scratching behind his ears and leaning gently against his shoulders. The werewolf lifted his head as she scratched behind his ear, blue eyes meeting her own as if he was wondering what she was doing.

"Sorry… I'm just trying to comfort you. I guess it's kind of stupid of me to treat you like a dog. I don't know anything about werewolves." Seras stopped scratching his ear and just let her hand rest on top of his head as he continued to look at her.

The wolf made a sound which sounded to Seras like a sigh and moved his head to let it rest in her lap. The action surprised her, but she smiled and began running her fingers through the long fur on the back of his neck. The wolf's ears flattened, but he stayed still with his heavy head resting against her lap.

"Does this mean you don't hate me anymore, sir wolf? Do you mind if I call you that? Unless you can somehow tell me your name," Seras let a nervous laugh escape her as he growled in response to her nickname for him.

"Well, either you figure out how to tell me your name or I call you that. It's your choice so stop being a grump, sir wolf."

Seras sucked in her breath as the wolf began to shrink beside her, slowly transforming into a human form. The fur seemed to disintegrate into tanned skin, only remaining in his head and lightly over his arms and chest. He remained curled around her, her back now leaning against his stomach. She looked down at the human face in her lap, blue eyes studying the handsome man. It was so hard to remind herself it was just a disguise, that the wolf was his true form.

Leaning back, Seras' attention was drawn to her peripheral vision to the other side of her. A deep blush filled her cheeks as she suddenly realized that he was completely naked. Dear god, she was practically spooning a naked man!

He growled as she began to squirm nervously at her discovery. Why wouldn't he just stay a wolf? That way he was covered in fur and she didn't have to worry about accidentally gawking at his privates. Seras dared to look down at his face as it shifted in her lap, only to find a very satisfied expression on his face.

"You! You did that on purpose! And I was trying to be nice! And now you're spooning me all naked like a bloody pervert!" Seras scrambled away from the man, jabbing her finger at him as he raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Oh bloody hell," Seras realized that in her new position she had a full view of him.

Then her eyes fell on the leg which wasn't supporting his weight as he lay on his side. His upper thigh was angled away from the rest of his body as if he had dragged it to his spot and not been able to move it since. Blood covered his hip and she could see the gaping wound from an exploding silver round, the new bullets all the Hellsing soldiers were equipped with. They had been made to explode on impact, sending shards of silver ripping through the target like a frag grenade.

He let his head rest against his arm as he watched her. She crawled back towards him, giving him an apologetic glance. She forced herself to keep her eyes on his hip injury and no his groin, which as making her blush despite her efforts. He growled as he reached for the bloody mess that was his hip, or rather had been his hip. She ignored his growls and gently let her fingers prod the wound, finding that rather than meeting resistance from where his hip bone should have been, it felt like nothing more than broken pieces remained.

"My god… Your whole hip is blown to hell-," She clapped her hand over her mouth, "Sorry… I mean, I'm sure if I can get the silver out you'll heal up like normal."

He just lay there and grit his teeth as she gently prodded into his wound with her fingers. He sucked in his breath as Seras was forced to stick her fingers down to the knuckles into the wound. She could feel his shattered bone around her fingers.

He stiffened and whimpered as she finally felt something metal and round, a bullet fragment. Seras grasped it between her thumb and forefinger, using her other hand to hold him still as he twitched from the pain.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, but I have to get this out."

He met her gaze with his blue eyes as she braced herself to pull the silver from him, then she pulled. It came out easily enough, but her eyes misted bloody tears as he moaned loudly from the pain. She grit her teeth and used her free hand to caress his side soothingly as she searched for the rest of the silver fragments.

* * *

**Hans POV:**

It felt like an eternity had passed while the little draculina removed the silver from his shattered hip bones. But, it was done now. The shattered bones in his hip were slowly mending back together and the whole in his gut was now nothing more than a bruise. Still, he couldn't stop himself from shaking.

A warm tongue sliding over the raw flesh of his hip, made him shiver. Hans watched as she licked his wounds, just as she had the night before. It was comforting.

She was a vampire and formerly human, but she had defeated him in battle, saved him from the ashes of a battlefield, licked his wounds, set him free, and comforted him while he was injured. He couldn't be angry with her, even if she had ruined his original purpose. Everything she had done for him since their battle was what a mate would do for him. Wolfkin females were as fierce in battle as the males, but they were nurturing by nature while males were naturally aggressive. His mother had always told him it was this way so that they balanced each other.

He was the last of his kind, he would never find a mate. But, there was no reason for him to deny himself the comfort this vampire female offered. She willingly helped him, healed him, and had earned his respect. Why turn her away?

Hans reached towards Seras and brushed his fingers against her arm, causing her to pause what she was doing and look at him. He hummed at her, tugging gently on her arm until she let him pull her down next to him. She blushed and lay down next to him, scooting up so that she could face him directly.

She looked somewhat uncomfortable, as if she wasn't sure what he wanted from her. Hans just continued to hum softly, his chest vibrating from the sound. He could still remember his father humming when his mother nuzzled him or when his pups nipped at his chin. So he hummed for Seras.

Reaching forward, Hans let his finger drag a trail in the dirt between their faces. He scratched the dirt until his name was written in it then looked at her expectantly. Seras raised an eyebrow and continued to just stare at his face.

_Please don't make me change my mind, runt vampire._

Hans rolled his eyes then jabbed his finger at the ground impatiently. Finally, her eyes seemed to register that he had drawn letters into the dirt. It seemed as if she was still dumb as a post, but at least she had redeeming qualities in his opinion.

"Hans? That's your name?"

He nodded, feeling oddly pleased at how happy she sounded just from learning his name. The little draculina giggled and smiled at him, reaching forward to run ruffle his silver hair. He growled, not liking being treated as a dog.

"I'm not petting you, Hans. You're not a dog. I'm not a werewolf."

He blinked as she poked at his nose, giving him a mischievous smile. That's right… Humans liked to use their hands to show affection. It wasn't just dogs, they petted each other too. It seemed rather odd to Hans, after all hands were just oddly shaped feet in his opinion. Perhaps humans would feel the same way about the wolfkin using their mouth for affection?

_Humans are strange…_

And vampires were even stranger. They were born human and turned into something else by a bite. He fully understood the facts about vampires, having had plenty of time to study them first hand while serving the Major. But, the artificial vampires of Millennium were not cultured vampires. They just seemed like blood thirsty humans given the ability to act on their desires. Seras and her former master seemed far superior to that in his mind.

Hans leaned forward and sniffed her neck, taking in the scent of blood, gunpowder, and death. There was something sweeter beneath that smell, a scent which separated her from the chipped vampires he had wasted half a century with.

"Um, Hans… What are you doing?"

He hummed deeply in response, continuing to study the smells on Seras. Blood, gunpowder, and death were just the smells _on_ her. Hans wanted to know what _her_ scent was. He leaned closer, letting his nose pressed against the cool skin on the nape of her neck. He could almost pick her scent out from the smells around her. He continued to sniff, reaching out to gently pull the neck of her uniform down so he could smell clean skin.

She gasped and pushed against his shoulders, but he held steady and inhaled the scent of her. Seras' scent was sweet, like pine sap. But, there was a hint of something else that made it her own unique scent.

_If kindness and innocence had a scent, this would be it._

* * *

**Did you guys enjoy the fluff? Let me know in the reviews if you want more! :P**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Germany 18****th**** century**

**Hans POV:**

Hans stood in the midst of what had been the final battle of his pack. The Alpha lay beheaded, surrounded by the bodies of the wolfkin that had followed him into battle. The moon was shrouded by heavy clouds, which slowly began to release snow. The sounds of the few survivors mourning the destruction of their pack and females with their pups weeping in the distance as they realized their mate would never return. The lamentations of the ruined pack mixed eerily with the cheerful barks of the victorious pack, who now ran the borders of their new territory.

Leaning down, Hans nuzzled his mother's snout. The warmth had left her body some hours ago and she was completely still. Kissing her beautiful face one last time, Hans forced himself to turn away as the cheerful wolfkin began to draw near. The new rulers of these hunting grounds would not allow any of them to stay here. They would chase them off or kill them.

Throwing his head back, Hans cried out to the dark night sky. The tone of his howl was sharp and angry as he sang to the Moon Mother of his heart break. His voice could not hold the notes steady, the howl pitchy as he wept for the loss of his parents, aunts, uncles, friends, and alpha. He was alone.

Forcing his aching muscles to move, he galloped into the shelter of the forest. Hans knew the entire mountain like the back of his paw, having hunted these lands with his family and friends for a century. Yet, now he had to leave.

Dashing through the thick underbrush and ducking under limbs, he ran straight for the border. Not once in his entire life had Hans ever crossed that invisible line which was the end of the pack's territory. His ears flattened against his head as they picked up the sounds of screaming pups. The rival pack had already found their den, likely to slaughter the mothers there and either adopt or kill the pups hiding there. It was not strange for these things to happen among their kind, but that fact did not lessen the shock of it.

The forest began to slope downwards and thin as his stiff legs brought him closer and closer to the border. The sloping side of the mountain was steep and rocky, but he kept up the dangerous pace. Self-preservation was the only driving force left in his mind as everything else shut down, trying to escape the painful loss he had suffered.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Seras held her breath as Hans began to sniff her neck, even pulling down the neck of her uniform and pressing his nose against the soft skin beneath her collarbone. She pushed against his shoulders, but he hardly seemed fazed by it. She listened as he inhaled deeply, as if savoring her scent. He could hate being treated like a dog all he wanted, Seras was convinced he was just in denial.

The she felt something warm and wet run up her neck.

"Hans! Did you just lick me? Bloody hell, you can't just unbutton the top of my shirt and lick me, all while your-" Seras' voice choked as she blushed, "Y-your well, you know… nude."

Hans just stared at her as if she was being silly.

Seras sighed as he stared at her with those intensely blue eyes of his, one silver eyebrow arching upwards.

_Figures I would end up in a cave with naked wolfman….at least he isn't bad to look at._

Seras caught herself and quickly flipped over to face away from him, ignoring the amused snort Hans made. What was she doing? He obviously didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable without clothes. But, his eyes were so intense and when she looked down out of habit, she just found herself staring at his chest or worse. She had been blushing like a little school girl on her first date.

_Who am I kidding? This is as close to a date as I've ever been._

The skin on the back of her neck pricked when she felt his warm breath against it. Biting her lip, she tried to stay calm as he lifted himself up with his arms and leaned over her shoulder. His silver hair had grown back to the length she remembered it being, falling about his eyes. It was shaggy and untamed, just like his fur when he was in his wolf form.

She turned onto her back and looked up at him, smiling nervously. Hans was as stoic as ever, blue eyes staring into her own. Blinking, she realized he was slowly leaning towards her and she felt her stomach turn flips as she wondered if he was going to kiss her.

Their lips were only a hairs width apart when he pressed his forehead against her's. Seras blinked for a moment then her eyes widened as she realized Hans was smiling at her, even those intense blue eyes of his were squinted slightly from his grin. She had never seen him smile before.

* * *

**Hans POV:**

It was way too easy to get the little draculina flustered and shy. If the wolfkin could laugh, he would had done so. Instead, he showed her his amusement with the best attempt he had at a human expression. She seemed appreciative of the smile he gave her, which felt so alien on his face. This little girl had obviously never had a mate with her own kind; she was far too innocent and flustered. Humans and vampires had such a strange complex about their own bodies. Rather than exist as they were made, they walked about in clothing which hid their natural state.

What was so shameful about their natural skin? He had spent two centuries of his early life without knowing about the existence of clothes, much less wearing them.

He let the forced facial expression slide off his face and leaned down to sniff her neck again, taking in her sweet scent. She always seemed to stiffen when he was affectionate towards her. She didn't like him sniffing her, humming, or anything else for that matter. Then again, she probably didn't know the different between a hum and a growl. Humans seemed to think that they were the only species with complex vocal communications. The wolfkin may speak mostly through telepathy among pack members, but that was considered intimate and personal. Body language and vocal sounds were the general means of conversing with each other. A growl wasn't just a growl; it was also body posture and a facial expression. It could mean a number of different things depending on pitch and body language accompanying it.

'_Humans have always been vein about such things. They think the universe revolves around them and exterminate anything that dares to disagree.'_

Her chest vibrated as she coughed nervously, but he ignored her distress and continued enjoying the scent of her skin. A deep hum came from his throat as he eased down and let his weight rest against her. She squirmed a little as he lay on top of her, but he just growled quietly and grazed her shoulder with his teeth until she grew still.

"Hans… Um, I'm sorry… But, I've never had a naked man just lay on top of me and sniff my neck before."

_'Naked? Why does that matter? She's naked under that barely there uniform anyways.'_

Hans snorted and bit the lapel of her uniform, giving her a deliberate glare as he jerked and tore the fabric. Just as he thought, she was naked underneath. Seras screeched forcefully slapped the palm of her hand against his jaw, whipping his head sideways with the force.

_'The little runt really just slapped me?'_

"Don't give me that dumb look. You tore my shirt! Oh and the buttons are ruined. Wait, don't look at me!" She shoved him off of her and scrambled to cross her arms over her chest, her slender back facing him.

Perhaps he had pushed her a little far…

The bones in his hip were still cracked, though no longer shattered. Still, it hurt when she had pushed him off balance and his weight had landed on his injured side. He winced and lifted himself onto all fours, letting his hurt leg stay limp and free of weight.

Crawling towards her, he hummed at her back. Seras just ignored him and continued to fuss about the torn lapel of her uniform. In his opinion she was blowing this way out of proportion. The tear barely even exposed her chest. If she was that worried about it, then she should have worn a bra like all the other self-conscious human females.

Hans reached out with his hand and shoved at her shoulder, unhappy at being ignored. But, Seras just continued to pretend to be interested in the nonexistent buttons on the front of her shirt. It was irritating to Hans.

This was why his kind were born and not made. Humans and all their symbiotic counter parts would never be able to survive the wolfkin culture. And Hans was certain that no matter how much time he spent disguised as one of them, he would never understand human interactions. No wolfkin female would be this shy. If Seras was going to shove him off of her, then she should go ahead and growl, bite, and pin him while she was at it. That was how his kind voiced displeasure. They didn't sniffle to themselves off in the corner over a little torn cloth.

* * *

**This chapter is a little short guys, sorry. I am planning to have a flashback oriented chapter next, but it might have to wait until Sunday depending on how much free time I have. I'll make it a nice long one :) **


	9. Chapter 8

**Here's my mostly flashback chapter. I'll be introducing an OC which exists in Hans' past. :)**

**Chapter 8**

**Germany 18****th**** century**

Hans crossed the border of his ancestors' hunting grounds as the sun began to cast its rays upon the earth. The light frost which had fallen during the night began to melt, leaving the soil somewhat soggy and soft. The alps of his home were now just dark mountain peaks in the distance and he had not crossed paths with any other surviving members of his pack.

Yet as he slowed his pace and the wind began to blow from a different direction, Hans could smell wolfkin. The scent itself was unfamiliar, but none of the wolves his pack has lost in battle too would have chased him this far. Hans flattened his ears, listening behind him as he kept up a trot.

_He was being followed._

Hans pushed his tired legs into a galloping pace, dashing over the rocky mountainside. The land here was far too barren and lifeless to be home to any pack. Whoever was following him was alone. Hans leapt over a fallen log and began to weave through rocks and crevices, along with the dead trees littering the landscape.

At last the opening he was looking for came. Hans jumped down a four foot drop, then pressed himself back against the rock face. He didn't have to wait long before a shadow passed over the sun, then landed on the ground ahead of him. It was a female, but not one he recognized. She slowed her pace, seeming to realize that she had lost his trail.

Hans lunged at the female just as she turned and caught sight of him. Their bodies clashed in a flurry of fur and snarls as Hans clamped his jaws into the scruff of her neck. She yipped in pain, but twisted around so that her hind legs could kick hard at him. A few kicks to the ribs and Hans felt her paws find a foot hold, allowing her to pry him away from her neck.

Hans let go and immediately crouched for the next attack. The female shook off his bite and bared her teeth, circling him. She was very thin, most likely a rogue and had been one for a very long time at that. Her amber colored fur was dull and unhealthy looking, and a chunk was missing from her right ear. Her face was angular, but her snout was shorter and rounder than Hans was used to seeing.

'_Is there a reason you are tailing me?'_

Hans snarled as he projected his thoughts towards her, causing her to flatten her ears. The female stopped circling him and stood uncertainly, watching him with distrust.

'_You're in my hunting grounds, alpine wolfkin. Your pelt is not suited for this place, be gone!'_

'_I have never heard of a gaunerin claiming a territory.'_

The she-wolfkin grit her teeth and growled in warning at his insult. Hans met it with a snarl of his own, holding his head up to let her see that she was out sized. The female was at least a full head smaller than Hans, and so skinny that he doubted she had the energy to fight.

'_Germanic dog! I am a pureblood of the Caucasus, you're petty insults are beneath me, einzelganger'_

Hans bared his teeth and looked her in the eye, swiveling his ears at her as he held his head up. Even as a younger member of the pack, he had always had a dominant personality. He was not about to be treated as a subordinate wolf by a half starved female of foreign blood. He had heard of the Caucasus wolfkin packs, seeing themselves as a sort of royalty among other packs. This haughty little female was far from home.

The female met his gaze with a stubborn snarl, but her tail gave away her lack of resolve. It was held straight, neither up in dominance nor down in submission. He charged her at the halfhearted challenge she silently presented, barreling her over on to her back. She squealed as he pinned her against the hard ground, holding his jaws in place over her jugular.

'_Yield, Russin hexe.'_

Hans growled deep in his throat, tightening his grip to emphasize her position. She stiffened at the derogatory name, but then allowed herself to go limp and whine softly. With another shake of her neck, Hans let her go and stepped off of her as the female scrambled to get out of his way. Her tail was tucked well between her legs and she purposefully kept her gaze away from his.

'_What are you doing in this forsaken place, platzhirsch?'_

Hans ignored her question, though he secretly enjoyed being addressed as a higher rank than herself. Not that it really mattered, neither of them had a pack. Rank was no longer even a factor in their lives. What was the achievement at being a dominant male to one half-starved she-rogue?

Hans continued his trek, but he was aware that the female was following him still. Each time his glanced over his shoulder, she would tuck her tail and halt. But, each time he looked away, she would continue to follow him. They continued that way for several hours, despite Hans knowing he should chase her off before he was stuck with her. But, deep down he was happy for the company. A hundred years of never being alone, then suddenly losing his entire pack had left a deep hole in his heart. The scrawny female somehow comforted him somewhat. To his mind, it was normal to smell another and look over his shoulder to see them at any given time. But, this was a strange wolfkin to him. For all he knew, she would wait until he fell asleep then kill him.

They came to a small stream which cut through the rocky landscape which was beginning to show signs of grass yet again. On the other side of the stream, the land had begun to flatten into plains with dried grasses and a few small trees. It was sparse and hardly the lush mountain side of his homeland, but it was better than the rocky slope they had traveled the past day.

Hans leaned down to lap up the water as it flowed down stream. His unwelcome companion waited until he was finished before she took her own turn to drink. While she drank, Hans scanned the darkening horizon for any signs of prey. All was still except for a few birds and the stream was too shallow to offer a home for any fish.

'_The pheasants probably have nests out in that brush.'_

Hans turned to look at the female as she voiced her suggestion. She held her head low in submission, but still walked towards him until she stood at his side. He turned away from her, beginning to have the impression that she was attempting to gain his favor. Was she that desperate to have a pack? No, he had the feeling that she was having difficulty hunting. He was just a means to eat for her, that was all.

* * *

**Present **

**Hans POV:**

Something was shaking him from his much needed sleep. Hans blinked the sleep from his eyes and found himself staring up at Seras, who was pulled his shoulders back and forth. She smiled sheepishly as he yawned and stretched out his front legs with his rear in the air. He had transformed back into wolf form during his sleep and his wounds had fully healed.

"It's night-time again, Hans. We should probably get away from here before Sir Integra decides to send out some border patrols…"

Hans shook the dirt, blood, and grime from his fur in response. She was right, of course, he did need to put as much distance between himself and the Hellsing Organization as possible. Giving Seras a nod of agreement, he began to crawl back towards the entrance to the cave which had served as his shelter for almost two days. Moving by the moonlight was second nature for Hans, and with Seras it was necessary.

"We should make our way to a town or something and get some clothes. You'll be in trouble if you need to look human and you're naked. Most people don't take kindly to nudity you know."

He snorted in response as she stretched out her cramped muscles. Seras was smaller than Hans, but she had been just as cramped as he had in their hiding spot. He had to admit that she had a point about the clothing. It had been nice to literally be back in his own skin for a change, but his form was a disguise and without clothing he stuck out like a sore thumb.

Seras reached up to place her hand on the back of his neck, her fingers resting in his long white fur. Hans turned to look at her, letting his tail wag lazily to show his appreciation for her help. This seemed to make her happy and she smiled brightly at him. It had been a long time since Hans had felt the need to do anything just for the sake of making someone else happy.

* * *

**German 18****th**** century**

After sucking on pheasant eggs for most of the night, Hans was not in the best mood. Having spent his entire life in a lush area filled with wildlife, he was not used to going to sleep on an empty stomach. The tiny eggs had barely curved his appetite, but they had not been to snatch an actual pheasant fast enough.

The two wolves had found a rocky overhang which offered some protection from the chilled night wind. Hans had slumped down in a soft patch of moss with his back to the overhang, giving him some comfort against an attack. Not that that was a genuine worry, this area was all but devoid of life. The plants were all half dead and the animals here were only small game, barely enough to justify exerting the energy to catch them.

Hans watched the gaunt female as she slinked towards him, her bronze fur making her blend well with the rocks surrounding them. Since their fight that morning, she had been careful to keep a submissive attitude, but he was still uncertain why she was following him like a lost pup. He had seen more beautiful females among his own pack, she was a horrible hunter, and she seemed to be afraid to get her paws dirty. It was a strange mixture of personal flaws for a rogue female to have, especially one so far from home.

Even Hans had heard tales of the harsh Caucasus Mountains from rogue wolves passing through their region. His pack had always been wary of rogues, but when the rogue showed the proper respect to the pack he was allowed to pass through without a fight. At times, a rogue would stay and attempt to earn the right to become a pack member. These new members would bring many different tales of foreign lands and packs. The Caucasus wolfkin were known for being very large and typically of a darker pelt color. They were used to harsh temperatures and hunting large prey. But, this female hardly matched any such description except for her dark coat color.

'_Do you have a name, gaunerin?'_

The female seemed surprised that he had spoken to her and tucked her tail nervously. Her eyes were a striking green which reflected the moonlight, but otherwise her face was far too gaunt and dull in color. It made Hans wonder how long it had been since she had regular meals. Although, after seeing her make a few attempts at the wild hare and several roosting pheasants, he assumed it had been since she had a pack of her own.

'_Nakita is my name, platzhirsch.'_

'_And that is a Caucasus name?'_

'_Da, it is.'_

Hans let his head lower until it rested on his paws, eyes watching the dark brush around them. Despite her foreign name and, at times, use of foreign words, she was also familiar with German. The wolfkin had no true language. Their ability to communicate through telepathy eliminated the need for one, besides their vocal sounds and body language. However, different packs often chose to use words and phrases which were common in the languages of their region. All the wolfkin learned how to understand the languages of their regions, mostly to blend in with any humans that may threaten them. Humans had always had an unnatural obsession with hunting beats they deemed to be of 'larger than normal' size. Because they thought the wolfkin were just giant wolves, they hunted them. Normal wolves were animals just like all the others. Hans had always been told that they were the descendants of ancient wolfkin who had angered the Moon Mother, who had then stripped them of their transforming abilities and also of their telepathy.

'_And what is your name, einzelganger?'_

Hans growled at the derogatory title, but took no other action as the female whined an apology. She seemed to be doing everything except roll over for him. He had always asserted himself over the wolves in his pack with submissive personalities, but he had never had another wolf treat him as if he were their alpha. This female kept a constant submissive attitude towards him, just like every member of a pack would do for their Alpha.

'_I am Hans… I have never heard of a rogue female. Why do you not have a pack?'_

Nakita quietly lay down on her side not far from him, her green eyes watching him carefully. She seemed to be deep in thought as her ears slumped sadly.

'_Humans found my pack's hunting grounds and began hunting us. They killed our Alpha and we were scattered. I wasn't able to find any of my surviving pack members. I've traveled ever since then until I ran into you. And what of your pack?'_

'_A rival pack challenged us for our hunting grounds. Our Alpha was killed along with most of the pack last night.'_

Nakita whined at him in sympathy, gently nudging his shoulder with her snout. It was a comforting gesture, one he couldn't help but appreciate as he began to hum approvingly at her. She seemed encouraged by this and gently nipped beneath his chin as she rolled onto her back and shifted back and forth to scratch her back. Hans watched her with mild interest, finding it rather funny that a grown female would do such a puppyish gesture.

'_Let us hunt together tomorrow, Hans. Perhaps we can find a boar or an elk to fill our bellies?'_

'_Ja, we will hunt together.'_

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

Hans had spent the entire night traveling through the forest with Seras, something he found extremely enjoyable. While he was serving the Major, Hans had always been stuck in a barracks, bunker, ship, or blimp of some sort. The pudgy little man had always had a strange obsession with technology and his choices of living space were no exception. This was the first time in half a century that Hans had been free to roam a wholly natural area.

They had come across a small town nestled at the edge of the forest and Seras had secured a room at a cheap motel. Hans, however, had had to sneak in through a window. None of the stores which she could have bought clothing were open and walking in through the front door as either a giant wolf or a naked human was an option.

In the cramped motel room, Hans quickly found himself missing the open forest. But, he knew this was necessary for Seras not to burn up in the sun. The little draculina had quickly jumped at the chance for a hot shower and was now lounging in a complimentary bathrobe. Hans simply lay on the bed in his wolf form, barely fitting on it despite being curled into a tight ball. There was only one robe and Seras insisted that he 'not be naked'. Of course, even in this form he was technically naked, but the vampire seemed more at ease when he was covered in fur and so he kept this form.

"You should take a shower too, Hans. The hot water was great!"

He growled in response to her suggestion, flattening his ears at the thought. Call it a baser instinct, but bathing was a very human thing to do and he wasn't a particular fan of water. Where he was born, water was always extremely cold and could be deadly if you fell into it. As a result, Hans had spent nearly a century having as a little to do with water, other than to drink, as possible. Even though he knew humans had come up with plumbing that heated their water, it just didn't feel like a necessity to him.

"You're lucky you don't smell like a dog, or I'd make you take a bath," Seras patted his head thoughtfully as she walked by him.

"Oh and I have a really good idea, I think you'll like it."

Hans lifted his head and pricked his ears towards; curious about what she had to say. So far her ideas had been mostly helpful and he let his tail wag to encourage her to continue talking.

"You should learn sign language! Then you could talk with people, other than just nodding or shaking your head. It might take a little time, but we could practice it while we move at night. That way our conversations won't be so one-sided."

Hans cocked his head to the side, unsure of what exactly sign language was. He had never heard of such a thing and was curious to hear what it was.

"Oh… Do you know what sign language is?"

Hans shook his head.

"It's a language that was developed for the deaf. You use your hands to make different signs and speak that way. It would be perfect for you!"

Hans nodded his head and wagged his tail in approval, liking the idea of being to converse with humans so easily. Since the last of his kind had died out, Hans had not truly had anyone to talk too. Many of his old comrades in Millennium had taken advantage of his inability to speak so that they could talk endlessly without interruption, while others had simply tried to speak to him only to eventually give up. Even the cheerful Schrodinger had been frustrated many times while trying to speak with him. The little werecat would chatter happily until finally deciding he wanted Hans' input in the conversation. But, sadly, the boy rarely asked questions that could be answered with a nod, shake of the head, or a shrug. Despite popular opinion of him, Hans really did have plenty to say most of the time.

"It's settled then! I'll make a quick run around town after the sun goes down and see if they have a library, then I'll buy us some clothes, and we can get moving again!" Seras stated, running her fingers through the fur on the top of his head. He hummed in response, enjoying her affection.

* * *

**Alright, I'd love to hear what you guys think of my OC Nakita? Do you like her? Do you think she is going to be good or bad? :D And also, let me know your opinions on Hans learning ASL. I look forward to the reviews!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Germany 18****th**** century**

Hans stalked through the rain starved forest with Nakita following suit several yards away. The two wolves kept their eyes peeled for movement and their noses sniffed the scents on the ground as they walked. The smaller female seemed more interested in Hans and mimicking his every action than actually finding any signs of prey. He pretended not to notice this nuisance, already having written her off as a poor fighter and probably an even poorer hunter. Her presence was comforting despite her lack of usefulness. Having a companion was normal for Hans and it helped him to push down the turmoil of losing his pack.

'_Hans, I think I've found something!'_

He trotted towards Nakita at her exclamation, somewhat irked that she could not identify her own aromatic discovery. The slender female wagged her tail and pranced about as he approached, as if she had found an entire herd of prey. He simply ignored her excitement, not yet confident in her tracking ability. Sniffing the spot she had found, Hans detected an odor of sweat, mud, insects, and a slight hint of blood.

'_Boar…'_

'_We should track it then!'_

Nakita began trotting down the trail, her nose to the dirt. Hans merely growled and watched her, wondering if she were really that stupid or was just ignorant of what a boar was. She slowed as she realized he wasn't following, then flattened her ears and tucked her tail. For a wolf who had acted like an alpha female when they first met, she had almost no mind of her own. Hans was not used to be in a leadership role, but he hardly had to prove his ability to the submissive she-wolfkin.

'_We should be careful. There are only two of us and boar can travel alone or in large herds. If there are too many of them, we could go hungry and spend the night licking our wounds.'_

Nakita sighed at the explanation Hans offered, as if she were mentally berating herself for not thinking of it herself. He was starting to quickly realize just why she was nearly skin and bones; the female was obviously a terrible hunter. Even when she had been in a pack, Nakita had probably been on the bottom of the totem pole in her pack.

Hans began following the scent of the boar with Nakita following him very closely. The trail was fairly fresh, but they had yet to come across any tracks. The parched earth was probably too hard for the boar to leave any, but even the brush was oddly undisturbed. Boar would eat anything in their path, no matter what it was. They would root through the earth with their tusks, uproot brush, pick off any corpses they found, and possibly kill and eat any smaller creatures stupid enough to cross their path. They were highly aggressive herbivores and were also very intelligent.

'_Hans, I think I see one over there!'_

Instinctively coming to an abrupt halt, Hans scanned their surroundings. Following Nakita's excited gaze, he saw a flash of deep brown fur moving away from them into the brush. But, it was too quick for him to see if it was a boar or not.

Before he could think further, Nakita took off after the supposed boar. Hans barked a warning at her as he rushed to follow her, not knowing what they would find on the other side of the brush. The female was far too quick to act without thinking, especially since she was severely lacking in martial prowess. Still, she was small and too quick for Hans to catch her before she charged through the brush which the brown furred figure had disappeared through moments before.

For a brief moment, she was out of his line of sight and Hans slowed his pace to a trot. Different smells were hitting his nose and they were not the scent of a boar. It was a heavy, greasy smell that Hans could not quite place. Whatever it was, it make his fur stand up as he crouched to stalk through the brush. The dried stalks of saplings and dead bushes had been snapped and trampled by something large, but it could easily be Nakita charging through them.

He crept towards the end of the brush and peered through the leaves into a clearing. Nakita stood panting, looking around her as if she had already lost her prey. If it had been something they could overpower, then she had most likely sent it running for safety. Hans would have been better off hunting alone at this rate.

'_Hans! I lost it. I think it's a big male boar, but I didn't get a good look. It moved to quickly for me.'_

Hans slinked out of the safety of the foliage and into the clearing, growling angrily at Nakita. Whatever potential prey had been in the area would probably have been scared off by the commotion she had caused. And any prey animals that might have noticed her would have alerted their comrades in their retreat.

'_If you had been patient, we might have been eating by now.'_

Nakita whined and tucked her tail at his reprimand, backpedaling away from Hans as he bared his teeth. The amber colored female lowered her head as she backed away, eyes planted to the ground. His stomach was empty and he was fed up with having to babysit an overgrown pup. But, his retaliation at her misbehavior was cut short as a massive shadow loomed over them both.

Hans lifted his eyes from the cowering female and found himself staring at a greasy mass of long brown hair, which expanded and contracted as the beast breathed. Looking upwards, he found himself staring into two savage black eyes and gaping jaws. A huge male grizzly bear stood on its hind legs, opening its mouth to let out an ear piercing bellow. Nakita spun around at the sound, squealing as the behemoth came crashing down on its front legs and snapped its jaws just inches from her neck.

Hans snarled at the bear to get its attention as Nakita lost her footing and fell backwards in her attempt to escape being bitten. The grizzly answered his challenge by swatting a massive paw towards him, catching him on the snout. The force of the blow snapped his head sideways and spun him around, sending him tumbling several feet on the ground.

Hans lay stunned for a moment, vision reeling from the blow to his head. Even full grown wolfkin would have difficulty taking down a grizzly bear without a pack to hunt with. He and Nakita were in over their heads.

* * *

**Seras POV:**

Sir Integra Hellsing's voice sounded tired through the cellphone Seras held to her ear. Her master's master was overloaded in the wake of the battle with Milleneum and Seras felt guilty for lying to the woman. She had been sent to kill Hans, but instead she was helping him. Integra was alone in that estate with only her soldiers and a few surviving Wild Geese to protect her. Seras knew she should return, but she knew that that would mean abandoning Hans.

The two of them had been traveling together for three days now and they had come a city with an airport. Hans intended to fly back to his homeland in Germany, but he also seemed to expect Seras to go with him. The werewolf seemed to have accepted her completely and even seemed attached to her. Seras also had to admit that she enjoyed his company as well. As much as she had always tried to hold on to being human, after drinking Pip's blood she knew what she really was. She was a vampire, a monster among humans. She would never truly belong among humans again and Hans was the last of his kind, he belonged neither to his own kind nor that of monsters and humans. It almost felt fitting to be near him.

"_Seras, are you listening to me?"_

"Yes, sir, I am. I am very sorry, but I haven't been able to catch up to the werewolf. He's too fast and he can move during the day."

"_That's the least of our problems, police girl. I have received information that key members of Millennium may have survived and are regrouping. If that is true, then our werewolf will eventually sniff them out. So stop chasing the snake's tail and aim for the head. Without the Major they will be disorganized. We need to exterminate these pests before they can get their act together again."_

"Yes, Sir Integra. Where are you sending me?"

"_Latvia, specifically near the Gulf of Riga. There is a blank spot in our satellite feed of that portion of the Baltic Sea. It may just be a military base or Millenium may have hacked into the satellites to hide their location. Even if that is a false lead, there have still been sightings in the area of vampires matching those of chipped vampires. Also I have an image taken in a small town near the Latvian and Estonian border which appears to be of one of the Major's chief officers. They are hiding somewhere in that area and I need you to find them and destroy them."_

"Yes, sir."

The line went dead.

Seras sighed and massaged her temples, feeling rather torn about what she should do. Hans seemed very intent on going to Germany, which only further made her belief that he was through with the Nazis. But, if she left for Latvia now, she would never be able to find him again.

Turning towards the second bed of their current hotel room, she stared at Hans as he lay on his stomach and studied the sign language book she had found for him. He looked good in the clothes she had bought for them the other day. It was just a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt, but the way it fit fairly tightly to his muscular torso was very attractive. Seras had traded in her tatter uniform for jeans, a t-shirt, and a fitted leather jacket.

As if he felt her gaze on his back, Hans looked up from his book. She could hear the odd rumbling sound which came from his chest when he was happy all the way from where she sat on her own bed. It was like a cat purring in Seras' opinion, but when she compared it to such he would become irritated. Although neither of them had learned enough of sign language for him to use it and her to understand it, Seras had gotten used to his mannerisms. Although when they had first met he had kept his face very stoic, now she understood that he actually had a very expressive face. He didn't make very many human facial expressions, but Seras had come to the conclusion that werewolves had their own set of facial expressions. Most of these expressions were wholly alien to her, but she was slowly beginning to understand them.

"That was Sir Integra," She quietly informed Hans, realizing that he was waiting for an explanation.

He growled and turned his attention back to his book, but Seras could tell he was still listening to her. She couldn't blame him for his distaste for the Hellsing Organization after their ill treatment of him, but she owed her life to Sir Integra in many ways.

"She has found evidence that there may be some survivors from Millennium regrouping in Latvia. I have orders to investigate."

Hans sighed and turned towards her, placing his right thumb against his chin and making a fist, his index finger sticking up and extending it and curling it several times. Seras smiled at his use of sign language, it was one of the few words they had gone over together. He wanted to know _'who'_ they suspected had survived.

"Well, you, obviously… Also several chipped vampires and…the Doctor."

Hans visibly stiffened at the mention of the nazi scientist. He growled quietly, but it sounded more like he was worried rather than angry. Perhaps Sir Integra had been correct in her original thoughts that the Nazis had attempted to replicate the werewolves and Hans had been their test subject.

"You don't like the Docter?"

Hans simply shook his head and closed his book, rolling over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Seras wanted to ask more, but she knew he probably would get irritated at the questions. Even though they both understood some very simple signs which he could use to communicate, he was very quiet. He could now ask 'who', 'what', 'when', 'where', and 'why' among other simple words in sign language. Seras could tell he was pleased to be able to communicate those words, but he seemed to have so much else to say.

Seras watched as his silver eyebrows furrowed in thought as if trying to figure out what he should do. After a while he sat up and stared at her, then lifted his hand towards his head and flattened his palm and extended it away from his face. Pointing at her, then making two signs she recognized along with indicating himself. He wanted to know if she would still be going to Germany with him.

"I have to go to Latvia."

* * *

**Germany 18****th**** century**

Nakita's terrified squeals and yelps brought Hans back to his feet, his head slowly clearing from the stunning blow he had received. The bear turned and left the battered she-wolf in a heap of fur and broken bones as it began to charge toward Hans. He knew Nakita was alive, but even with their kind's accelerated healing abilities it could take her hours to mend the broken bones he knew she had.

Hans crouched and darted to the side as the bear barreled towards him, using his speed to escape its attack. The bear lumbered to a halt as Hans dashed after it, attempting to get onto the grizzly's back. His planned bad quickly as the beast wheeled around stood up on its hind legs, towering over the wolf and roaring savagely. Hans backpedaled and managed to avoid being swatted by the giant paws with their two inch long claws.

This was no newly weaned cub, it was an older female bear. She was huge in size and knew exactly how to fight. Hans dodged again as the grizzly charged, trying to read her movements. Her neck was thick and covered in thick fur, he wouldn't be able to tear into it alone. There was such a layer of fat under the bear's skin that Hans doubt he would even be able to draw blood by himself.

Hans finally saw an opening and leapt upwards as the bear lunged at him, managing to get up onto it's back. He reached over the bear's neck and sank his teeth into its furry ear and shook his head in an attempt to tear it. However, the bear was smarter than Hans had initially given her credit. She stood on her hind legs and Hans dangled behind her as her ear began to rip and he tasted her greasy blood.

Then he felt the bear lurch and stumble, falling sideways. Hans let go of the grizzly's ear in order to avoid having it fall on him, but was quick to jump onto it again before it could stand. The bear wrapped it's front legs around him, but he latched onto her neck and bit down with all the force he had in his jaws. His rib cage felt like it might implode from the force of the bear's grasp, but he violently shook his head and ripped out fur. If he could get past the fur and layer of fat, he might actually be able to hurt the behemoth before it crushed him.

Hans felt the bear loosen its crushing grip for a moment, then bellowed angrily. He opened his eyes as he felt another snout near his own. Nakita had clamped her on jaws onto the bear's throat and tore at it with all her force. The grizzly released Hans in order to swat the female wolf away, rolling so that Hans was forced to release it as well.

He backed up until he was between Nakita and the grizzly. The female whimpered, but otherwise stayed still. The grizzly bear backed away, stamping it's feet and glaring as if to dare them to try attacking it again. But, Hans knew the fight was over. The bear was retreating, although it was clearly the victor. But, it had decided that they were too much trouble to continue the fight and felt that it had gotten the point across. They needed to stay out of this she-bear's territory at all costs.

'_It's over, Nakita. We need to get away from the bear's territory. Get up.'_

The female whined and slowly stood on wobbling legs, one of her hind legs horribly broken. They would not be hunting again anytime soon, but they still needed to put distance between themselves and where they were.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

Hans awoke to the sunlight hitting his eyes through the window and he squinted as he realized that the curtains had been blown slightly open by the air conditioner beneath the window. Turning over, he was glad to see it had not hit Seras, who was cocooned in a mass of tangled sheets and blankets. At first he had found it strange that she practically mummified herself in blankets while sleeping, but now he suspected it was her attempt at replicating a coffin.

He stretched and rolled off his bed which was closest to the window. It had been almost a week since he had been out and about during the day, but he preferred the night. His kind worshipped the moon and so were mostly nocturnal, but he did enjoy the sun's warmth. Still, he drew the curtain completely closed and bathed the cheap motel room in darkness again. Vampires burnt up in sunlight and he had grown somewhat attached to the little draculina.

But, their destinations had now changed. He was returning to Germany in the hope that he could find his old pack's hunting grounds, the place where he was born. Seras had received orders to go to Latvia and investigate nazi activity.

A part of Hans wished to continue traveling with her, but he had no desire to be anywhere near the Docter again. That wicked human was unnatural and cruel. 'Evil' had never been a term the wolfkin used, considering that their culture was literally the strong survive and the weak do not. Hans had grown up believing that survival was what governed actions and personality merely effected behavior. But, the Doctor defied all of Nature's simple laws. The man despised the natural order of things and strived to distort everything. Hans had never understood why the man wished to play the part of a god, but he truly hated that human with every fiber of his being.

When the Major was alive, Hans and the Docter had been at his right and left hands. The Docter was the brains, the Major was the will, and Hans had been the brute force. At one point, the Docter had wished to create artificial wolfkin or 'werewolves' as humans had decided to name his kind. But, unlike the vampire race he had had no 'missing link' from which to base his research.

Hans could still remember the terribly twisted figure of _her_. Had he not been so useful to the Major, Hans was certain that he would have been petrified and experimented on just as _she _had been. The Doctor had taken blood samples from Hans, but little else. It had all come up to dead ends and the Major had not wished to risk turning Hans against them.

But, there was no Major to control the madman now. Hans was all too aware that the wicked human had created weapons of many different calibers. Weapons that would put even Hellsing's explosive silver bullets to shame. The Doctor enjoyed inflicting pain on others, almost as much as he enjoyed creating unnatural beings.

He looked down at Seras as she slept, feeling a conflict of interests within him. Self-preservation told him to stay as far away from the Doctor as possible, but his attachment to the draculina told him to make sure she stayed safe. He reached down and pulled the blankets back so that he could stare at her face. Her blond hair was messy and she slept with her mouth open, breathing quietly.

Even if she had stolen his chance at ending his race in a glorious death, he couldn't make himself angry at her again. She had saved him not once, but twice from a slow and agonizing death from silver being lodged within his body. Was he really willing to let her go to Latvia all alone? If she was captured and petrified like the girl he remembered from World War II, he would never see her again and it would be his own fault.

Hans reached down to touch her hair, finding it soft and silky against his rough hands. This little vampire had defeated him in battle, saved his life, licked his wounds, and helped him escape from her own alpha. She was a complete mystery to Hans. But, he could not deny that he had grown very attached to her over the past week. Decades in Millennium and he had never felt any sort of fondness for the Nazis. In fact, his feelings towards her were as close to that of a pack member as he had had in over a century. It felt nice not to feel so isolated and alone when he was born to be surrounded by a family. Being alone was against his nature, it was unnatural for him. But, without any of his own kind left to form a pack with, he had been forced to be alone. Seras was the first outside of his species to make him feel like he belonged.

* * *

**Seras POV:**

Seras was roused from her slumber by something touched her head gently. At first, she thought she might be dreaming, but as the sensation continued she came to full consciousness. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she found Hans patting her head as he seemed to be deep in thought. Although he was looking at her, she could tell that he was far away in thought. Seras reached up and gently grasped his hand, which brought his attention back from his thoughts.

"Hans, is everything alright?"

Instead of answering, he leaned down and crawled into her bed. Seras blushed, but stayed quiet as he joined her under the covers. It was strange for him to do anything like that, which only made her more worried about what might be bothering him. She was even more surprised as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hans?"

Seras squeaked his name nervously, uncertain as to what exactly he was doing in her bed. The large werewolf merely began that strange rumbling sound in his throat, which reminded her of a purr. If he had a voice like a human, it might have sounded like a hum. But, instead it came from his throat and vibrated his chest, coming out like a cat's purring.

"Does this mean you'll miss me?"

Hans squeezed her slightly and made a whining sound, which she had learned meant he was worried. Perhaps it was more than just that he would miss her company. Seras smiled to herself at the thought that Hans was worried about her. No matter how distant and stoic he acted, he had started to care about her over the past few days. Seras felt the same toward the werewolf, who she felt was a sort of kindred spirit. He was the last werewolf and she was a vampire who, in some ways, denied her true nature. She didn't want to drink the blood of other humans and she still felt guilt even when killing ghouls.

"Why are you so afraid of the Doctor?"

Hans stiffened at the mention of the man and she realized that neither of them knew enough sign language for him to fully answer her question. But she soon felt him shift and he pulled her over so that she was laying on top of him, her head against his chest. Seras blushed shyly at him, but found herself mesmerized as he stared at her.

Then Hans did something Seras had not expected at all. He craned his head so that artery in the side of his neck was exposed to her. She sucked in her breath as she realized that she could all but smell the blood through his skin. Her stomach growled, reminding her of how many days it had been since she had fed. Would it be just like when she drank from Pip, absorbing his memories and hearing his voice in her head? But, Hans wouldn't die like Pip had. He wouldn't stay in her head as a familiar. But, would she be able to hear his voice? Was that why he wanted her to drink from him?

"Hans…. Are you sure?"

As he nodded, she felt herself leaning in towards his neck. All she could really think about was biting into his tanned skin, but she tried to hold herself back. Slowly she licked his neck, her tongue tasting the saltiness of his skin. She could feel his slightly elevated pulse through her tongue. Her fangs elongated and grazed his skin, but he remained perfectly still.

Her teeth pierced his skin and sank into the vein as she began to suck gently. His blood filled her mouth quickly, tasting sweet and strong. She had never drank from a living being, even Pip had been dying when she drank from him. But, she felt exhilarated as she swallowed Hans' blood. To her amazement, their heartbeats began to synchronize and his emotions flooded through her. It was as if they were one being. She could feel his worry and sorrow, that he was lonely.

'_Seras.'_

She froze as the deep voice echoed inside her head. It was masculine and powerful, but it almost reminded her of that smooth, musical sound of a wolf's howl. It was Hans' voice.

'_Don't go to Latvia, sanft madchen. That Doktor hates all natural things. If he catches you, he will take away all that is good in you. Like a cat playing with its food. He is a wicked, unnatural human.'_

Seras slowly continued to drink, feeling almost overwhelmed with Hans' emotion. She was somewhat surprised at just how strongly he felt about the Doctor, herself, and them having to go their separate ways that night. She was aware that he thought of her as a pack member, in a strange way he loved her. But, he was afraid of the Doctor.

"I have to obey Sir Integra. I have to go, Hans."

She felt his slightly angry disposition toward her master's master, but as her own feelings toward Sir Integra mixed with his own, he calmed somewhat.

'_She is your Alpha?'_

"Yes, my Master's master."

'_I understand following the orders of your Alpha, but the Doktor is not natural. You cannot understand if you have not seen his… work.'_

"Hans, I am a vampire and you're a werewolf. We shouldn't be complaining about other people being unnatural."

'_Werewolf? That is human term, a fairytale. I am wolfkin.'_

"Wolfkin? Alright, sorry, you're a wolfkin then. But, my point still stands."

'_Nein, vampir and wolfkin are natural beings. I was born, just as you were. You may have been reborn as a vampirin, but you were born just the same. That Doktor has the soul of a teufel. He thinks himself a gott! He takes what is natural and makes unnatural abominations.'_

"You didn't seem to have a problem while serving in Millennium."

Seras felt him stiffen and his mood darken, which made her regret her stinging remark. She could feel his conflicting emotions as they swirled into her own. But, she could sense that he held no loyalty to Millennium, but rather that he been offered something which he greatly desired. A bribe of sorts.

'_Wolfkin only owe loyalty to their pack and the Moon Mother. I am the last. I am alone. I cannot die quietly, leaving my species forgotten. Herr Major promised me a death on the battlefield, that my kind would be forever remembered.'_

"But, I saved you…"

'_Ja, sanft madchen. But, that is your nature. I was angry at first, because you took away my purpose. I cannot fault a creature for obeying her nature and so I do not hold a grudge. But, that Doktor... He mocks nature, distorts it, and takes pleasure in causing pain. There are worse things than death, sanft madchen.'_

Seras felt a deep sadness from Hans, which made her realize that he had truly intended to die in their battle. That was why he had smiled at her when she had defeated him, supposedly killing him? It made her heart ache for Hans, that he was so lonely he wanted to die. But, some sense of pride for his race made him feel like he had to die in some glorious display.

Seras pulled back from his neck, licking the spot she had just bitten as it quickly healed. She could still feel his presence in his head, but it was as if she was feeling his emotions through a fog. His voice was gone from her mind as she opened her eyes and looked at Hans. His eyes were somewhat glazed as if he had been drinking alcohol, but she was certain that her own eyes probably had a similar sheen.

Seras cupped his cheeks in her hands and looked at him for a moment. His silver hair seemed to almost shine in the darkness of the motel room and his tanned skin contrasted her own pale complexion. The aftermath of their linked minds left her feeling as if she had been alone for a long period of time.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Seras leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his own.

* * *

**Alright, I plan to have some plot progression next chapter. Also, after reading one Review which mentioned the flashbacks (not negatively, it only made me think about it) I thought that I should explain them somewhat. Although they do essentially provide some backstory for Hans, they will eventually catch up to the 'present' plot, so they are multipurpose :).**

**Sanft Madchen means 'gentle girl' in German.**

**Let me know if you guys enjoyed Seras being able to hear Hans' thoughts while drinking his blood. :D **


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Sorry for the delay in the update guys. This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer for an update.**

**Hans POV:**

Seras' lips had the distinct flavor of his own blood on them, but he didn't dislike that fact. Quite the opposite actually. The sensation of having his blood sucked out of his body had been surprisingly… sensual. He has always heard that vampires sometimes would become blood drunk after drinking, but he had never imagined it would affect him the way it had. He had been a little confused about his own feelings until Seras had leaned in and kissed him. Hans may not have been the best at interpreting human interactions, but a kiss on the lips was an intimate thing regardless of species. Her tiny hands on his cheeks were cool against his burning skin and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her.

It had been far too long since he had been with a female like this, centuries to be exact. He had never been interested in any human or vampire females in that way, but Seras was different. Pulling her closer against him, he enjoyed the feel of her breasts pressing against his bare chest. She ended their kiss, but Hans wanted more despite the embarrassed flush on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Hans, I don't know what just came over me."

Seras began to push herself up and away from him, but Hans tightened his grip and pulled her back. Now he had a better view of her and she hardly seemed to intent on ending what she had started. Hans let himself study her for a moment, noting that the top two buttons on her flannel pajamas had come undone, revealing a generous amount of cleavage.

Seras flushed and crossed her arms over her chest to cover herself when she realized where he was staring. He stared at her as she straddled his hips, cocking his head slightly as she bashfully avoided eye contact. Hans had never met such a shy woman, then again his species held practically no appreciation for clothing or covering their bodies. Slowly he reached out and pried her arms open, humming in appreciation when she didn't resist.

Gently, he let his hands brush down her sides and rest on her hips. There was a small part of him that realized he was enjoying her shy reactions to what he was doing. It was obvious she had never done anything like this before, which only confirmed that she had not been a vampire for long. Only virgin humans could become vampires, while those which had mated became ghouls. She obviously had not even been in her vampire form long enough to rid herself of the virginity which had saved her from the fate of becoming a ghoul.

* * *

**Seras POV:  
**Seras felt incredibly exposed as Hans gently tugged her arms away from her chest, but she no longer wanted to stop him either. When he had pulled her back to him as she had attempted to halt their actions, it had melted her reservations. The way Hans was looking at her was a mixture of desire and admiration, which made her feel beautiful. The problem was that she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do and it wasn't as if he could tell her what he wanted. Seras wasn't even convinced she wanted to do whatever it was he wanted either. Gently she pushed against his chest until he looked at her again with that curious expression.

"Hans… I can't… I'm sorry."

It felt like a knife had been shoved into her gut when his face went quickly from expressive to stoic again. But, he didn't seem angry with her, instead he ran his fingers through her hair kindly. Seras wished she could figure out what he was thinking behind that mask of unwavering apathy.

Hans just continued to pet her hair, making that humming sound in his chest, as she lay back down on his chest and closed her eyes. Despite her earlier fear of things moving too fast, it still felt nice to have his muscular arms wrapped around her as she drifted back off to sleep.

* * *

**Germany 19****th**** Century**

Hans trotted alongside Nakita as they traveled along the banks of a wide river, both eyeing the fish which would sometimes spring out from the rapids. The heavy rains which had poured endlessly the past four days had caused the river to swell and the earth to soften into a deep muck. The two of them had traveled together for some time, but the dawn of a new century had seen them still without belonging to a new pack. The packs of the surrounding lands saw no need for new members and chased them from their territories, while there was hardly anywhere worth settling on their own. The good land was either already claimed by well-established packs or had been settled by humans. Although they were capable of blending into human villages as far as appearances went, neither had felt the need as of yet. So they skirted human civilization and attempted to gain the favor of the packs they encountered along the way, but so far it had yielded little reward.

The bronze pelted female loped lazily alongside Hands as they ventured into an open valley with no trees. This area was littered with human settlements, many of which had entire herds of animals trapped in fences. They were easy meals for two wolves without a pack to hunt with. It was dangerous to kill the livestock to often since the humans had somehow discovered a substance which was toxic to the wolfkin race. Hans and Nakita had discovered this piece of information when they had raided the same farm too many times in a row. Humans were very intelligent, although they needed technology and houses to make up for what they lacked in body. As frail as the little creatures were, they were terribly clever. The murmurs of some poisonous substance being turned into a weapon by humans had wafted about for nearly a century, but the truth of it had been made clear when silver bullets had bitten into Hans' shoulder for the first time.

The wound had festered for days until Nakita finally chewed the bullet out, although the effects had lingered for nearly two days after its removal. Since then the duo had been careful to avoid staying in areas with human populations for too long. The creatures babbled endlessly like birds, which Hans assumed was similar to how his own kind communicated.

'_Hans?'_

Nakita had come to a full stop and was staring off across the river, prompting Hans to follow her gaze. Several fat cattle were grazing on the thick grass near the river bank, but he could sense that they were not the source of her interest. Hans lifted his nose to the wind and inhaled the various aromas. The thick earthy scent mixed with mashed vegetation marked the presence of the bovines across the water, but there was an underlying scent which brought him instinctively to the alert.

'_Humans?'_

'_No… They don't venture into their fields unless bringing their slave cattle in for the night.'_

Nakita whined softly at his answer to her question while easing herself down to the ground where she would be difficult to see. Hans growled at her in mild annoyance, although by now he was used to her gutless nature.

'_Nakita stand up and try to live up to your namesake. Crawling on your belly like a pup will get you nowhere.'_

'_Well, we've been comrades for a long time now. My puppishness must have some good qualities, nyet?'_

Hans turned his attention away from the opposite river bank and stared down the female as she rolled onto her back and began to hum at him. The two of them were an odd pair to say the least. She was, to Hans' suspicions, the runt of a litter born in the Caucasian mountains in Russia and he was a dominant wolf from a strong Germanic wolfkin pack. When he had found her she had been all bark and no bite, and then had latched onto him like an orphaned pup to a wet-nurse when she realized he had the bite to back up his bark.

'Don't mistake advantageous partnership for fondness, Russische Hexe.'

Nakita stopped humming at his subtle jab and whimpered in mock hurt. Hans sat back on his haunches and yawned while his companion began to wallow on her back so that grasses beneath her would scratch an itch. Her back scratching came to an end as she stood and shook. Playfully she leapt at him and bit his ear, tugging him down the ground with her.

'_I think you are confusing yourself for a peacock, Hans. You can make yourself sound cold and unfeeling all you want, but eventually someone will see you with your tail feathers furled and your charade will go straight into The Fade.'_

* * *

**Seras POV:**

The midnight flight to Latvia proved to be more crowded than Seras had anticipated, which was actually a good thing since they needed to keep a low profile. Neither of them had any bags, which raised a few eyebrows at the security check points. But, Hans was unarmed and Seras had reluctantly parted with her own weapons after Sir Integra had insured their delivery to Latvia. So they had passed through fairly easily.

Still she didn't fully relax until they were both seated in the plane. Seras had felt pleasantly surprised when Hans had opted for a ticket to Latvia and not Germany, although he acted as if that had been the plan all along. Luckily their seats were next to each other and Seras had the window seat. Hans was back to his usual stoicism. She had to admit that she felt a little guilty for rejecting his advances last night, but he couldn't be too upset if he was coming with her to Latvia.

"Hans, I know you don't like the Doctor… But, if you have more information, I could use whatever I can get," She murmured softly so that only he could hear her.

Those piercing blue eyes of his locked onto her own as his eyebrows furrowed together slightly. Hans took a deep breath as he shifted in his seat so that he could face her. The cramped aisle of their seats was almost too small for Hans, his knees were pressed against the back of the seat in front of him. Other passengers filed into the rest of the seats on their aisle and Hans had to lean towards Seras to avoid having his shoulder pressed against a stranger's. Nonchalantly he shrugged towards her, giving her the impression that now was not the best time for them to talk.

"Alright, well how about we talk about ourselves? How old are you?"

Hans held up his hands and used his fingers to give her the numbers 5,0,and another 0. This made her blink at the realization. He was five hundred years old? That made him only a few centuries younger than her master, who she had been told was born in the 15th century. Now that she did the math in her head, Hans would have been born in the 17th century.

"Wow, that's a long time."

He snorted and very pointedly flipped her the bird. Obviously he didn't appreciate her sugar-coated approach to implying that she thought he was very old.

"So does that mean that… you're kind are immortal like mine are?"

He shook his head.

"What's the average lifespan then?"

He shrugged in response as if the answer were more complicated than a simple nod or shake of the head. Seras felt a little deflated at his lack of interest in her game of questions. There were so many she had to ask about him and his kind, but they were limited in their communications. Then she noticed a pencil and small notepad in the pocket of the seat in front of her. With a smile, Seras picked it up and placed it in Hans' hands.

"Who was the first of your race?"

He seemed puzzled by her question for a moment then began scribbling on the paper. After a few minutes of nearly taking up the entire page with writing, he handed it over to her.

'_My Mother told me that we are the earth children of a moon goddess. But, after she died and my pack was scattered, I eventually found a new pack. The Alpha female of the pack was an ancient and she taught me many things about our kind's history. It isn't so simple or fantastic as the story of our existence being the result of a moon goddess. She told me that our kind was born of one of the Old Gods, the first of us being Hróðvitnir. But, ancient prophesies foretold that he would murder the king of the Old Gods in the fading times. So they tricked him and bound him for eternity. But, our forefather had sired two sons named Hati and Sköll. Hati chases the moon while Sköll chases the sun, each seeking to devour their prey. Because of this my kind was divided for centuries over mostly religious issues. Eventually they all divided into packs and mostly avoided each other otherwise. Around the time my own parents were born our kind had already begun to forget our history, which is why I was not taught the truth as a pup. But She told me that our ancestry determined our religion, despite the packs having forgotten their true origins. My pack worships the Moon Mother, although humans once called Her Nótt. I was told that to love the moon is to have the blood of Sköll in one's veins, since he chases the sun to make way for the night.'_

Seras read the detailed explanation carefully, feeling more confused than informed. It sounded so poetic, but somehow lacked the beauty Seras usually associated with poems. Then again she could say the same for many of the various religious explanations about how humans came into existence.

"What happened to your pack?," Seras asked gently as he began to write again. After a few moments of writing on a fresh sheet, he handed the notepad back to her.

'_My pack had lived in the German Alps for generations, but another pack came and challenged our rights to the land. My kind had already begun to dwindle by then since humans actively hunted those of us living to close to their territories. The battle only lasted for one night until our Alpha fell. The survivors of my pack scattered, myself included. My mother and my father both died that night.'_

"I'm sorry, Hans… How old were you when this happened?," Seras asked as she reached over to squeeze his hand. For a moment he simply stared down at her hand, then he reached over to pat her head before taking the notepad back from her.

'_My kind does not age as humans do, but we also are not non-aging as the Vampir. We live long naturally because we age very slowly, which is also why my kind does not reproduce as prolifically as humans or vampir do. A hundred year old wolfkin is merely an adolescent, still looked after by their dam and fed first with the Alphas. At the time of my packs undoing, I was just a little over one hundred years. I had only just learned to hunt and had earned my place in the pack, because of that I was included in the war party. If there were other survivors, I never found them.'_

* * *

**Okay I know it was short, but this update was so delayed I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer. I should have another chapter up by this weekend. :) I'm basing the history of the werewolves on old Norse Mythology, although I have taken a good deal of liberty on the story. Next chapter Seras and Hans will be in Latvia trying to track down the Dokter, while the flashbacks get a slight jump start towards the present. I hope you enjoyed it. :D**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Scandinavia, 19****th**** century**

Hans and Nakita had traveled into Scandinavian territory after being turned away by pack after pack or chased away by humans for several years. The humans in the land were too busy with their wars to notice missing livestock and the packs of the region had no doubt retreated in the safest areas to avoid the human war. It was a beautiful land, but they rarely stayed in one place for even a season. It felt strange to Hans to live the life of a rogue, denied membership in a pack. It felt unnatural, but it had forced him to learn how to fend for himself without relying on others.

'_I smell an elk.'_

He sped up his pace to investigate Nakita's discovery as they came to a dried up creek bed in a densely wooded forest. This was a landscape Hans felt at home in, the forest was what he knew and understood. It felt safe.

Hans put his nose to the ground and sniffed, picking up the scent of a male elk. From the scent he could tell the male was in rut, which suggested smaller females would be nearby as well. If this bull elk had already gathered a harem of females they would have their pick for a meal. As if on queue a loud bugle from a bull elk echoed through the forest.

They both looked at each happily before loping towards the calls of the elk. The elk rut heralded fall and winter, but it was also an easy hunting season. The dangerous bull elk would be too busy fending off their rivals to pay attention to any predators stalking about. The females would be grouped together and feeling safe, no doubt with careless yearlings in tow.

Tracking wasn't even needed thanks to the amount of noise the bulls were making to attract females and ward off rivals. The two of them darted through the forest until they finally found the herd of elk grazing near a small stream. Hans crouched down in the tall grasses to survey the scene while Nakita took shelter in some bushes.

'_I know you can't see from there, Nakita.'_

'_Well excuse me if I don't fancy being sprayed by rutting elk.'_

'_Is this fear from personal experience?'_

'_Nyet… But, I imagine it would be unpleasant.'_

'_More unpleasant than watching me eat my kill while you get nothing?'_

'_Der'mó! Fine! But, I get the rump meat.'_

Hans hummed his approval as she crawled forward on her belly until she crouched next to him. They watched in mutual silence as the herd continued what they had been doing, completely absorbed in their mating rituals. The bull was circling his harem of nearly fifteen cows, insuring that none of them would be stolen from under his nose. There was another bull bugling somewhere in the forest, which had this male doting on the females in his harem. He bugled and shook his rack as he pranced around them impressively, sometimes chasing off some of young males which had no hopes of being accepted by any of the females. The adolescent males were doomed to take out their sexual frustrations by wrestling with each other and pestering the yearlings which had been all but forgotten.

'_If we go for one of the young ones it will be an easy kill.'_

Hans turned to look at Nakita, not the least bit surprised that she wanted to take the easy route. The female was an omega to the core, always satisfied with the bare minimum and never willingly taking a risk.

'_Two of us can take down an older cow, a yearling won't feed us both.'_

'_Which one then?'_

Hans looked back towards the harem of females, studying each one for signs of weakness. This bull had been fairly particular in his females as all seemed healthy and in their prime other than a few yearlings and immature young females and males too small to provide for both of them.

'_Just wait until one separates from the herd, then I'll herd further away and you can jump her when you get the chance. If you get the neck and break it, then it shouldn't be a problem.'_

'_You want me to break its neck? Hans, have you learned nothing the past few decades we've spent together?'_

'_Aren't Caucasian Mountain wolfkin supposed to be bigger and better than us Germanic wolfkin? If we ever do find a pack you'll be the omega for sure.'_

'_There's nothing wrong with being an omega.'_

'_Really? So you enjoy eating the pack's scraps, being passed over for stronger females by potential mates, and getting your heels nipped every time someone else is in a bad mood?'_

'_Svóloch'…'_

Hans felt a small bit of guilt as she angrily stalked away, but he sensed that she was still circling around the herd as he had planned. Nakita was difficult for him to comprehend. She was both lazy and cowardly, but typically was emotionally tough. Yet, at times like this she would suddenly take offense to his jibes which she normally took with a grain of salt. Perhaps he had been too personal this time?

Pushing their social issues aside, Hans turned his attention back to the elk and waited for an opportunity to present itself. After a long time of observing the herd, a brave young bull attempted to woo an older cow while the master of the harem was concerning himself with the others. The young bull scarcely had six points on his rack and was a good deal smaller than the female he was pestering. She barely paid him attention although she absentmindedly moved away from him and the herd. The perfect opportunity came when the young bull got to close to her rear and she kicked him, trotting in the other direction.

Instantly Hans dashed out from his hiding place, planting himself between the female and the rest of the herd. The animal instantly ran away from him and the herd, straight to where Hans knew Nakita was waiting. The rest of the elk cried and dashed away, snorting and stamping their feet in panic.

Hans galloped after the elk, expertly herding it towards Nakita. Just as the elk bound over a log, Nakita jumped from her hiding place and clamped her jaws onto the back of their prey's neck. The creature landed on its side from the force of the blow while it was mid jump, but it immediately began thrashing and caught Nakita in the jaw and released itself from her grip.

Quickly, he broke into a dead sprint and caught the elk before it could regain its footing. His fangs dug into the muscular neck of the elk as his weight forced it back to the ground. Hans savagely shook his head and tore at the creature's neck until he finally heard a loud cracking sound and the elk went limp.

* * *

**Hans POV:**

They had barely arrived in Latvia before Seras had them scrambling for a motel before the sun rose. Hans was not too happy about being expected to sleep all day after being cooped up inside that airplane for hours on end. But, at least he would have something to do after she woke up. Hans wasn't too thrilled about going after his old comrades, even if he had no personal attachment to them. Throughout his entire military career with the Major, Hans had maintained a mostly neutral relationship with them all. He had never bothered to get to know them or make friends with them, merely did what the Major commanded in order to achieve their goals. It was that simple…

At least that was what he kept telling himself.

Now that the fog of his desire to die in battle had cleared, he had slowly been realizing that he had felt some genuine loyalty towards the Major. The little man had, after all, had an entire battalion at his beck and call. At the very least, the Major had been the closest thing Hans had had to an Alpha in nearly a century. That was why Hans had followed him, done every wicked deed he ordered, and sought to please the Major like a lapdog. It was almost pathetic, in Hans' opinion, that he missed the Major and perhaps somewhat the others in Millennium.

He had convinced himself for decades that he only did the things the Major ordered to achieve the end his race deserved. But, he had just been fooling himself. That natural instinct to follow the command of an Alpha personality had played a small part, but he knew there was a small part of him that had just purely wanted to please the Major. That had been too many times when an enemy could have killed the man, even long before the promise of a glorious death, that Hans had protected the man.

There was just the faintest feeling that he was betraying his adopted Alpha by working with Seras to track down the Dokter. But, if there was any one person in Millennium that Hans had felt any negativity towards it was that scientist. At first he had felt pure neutrality towards the mad man, but after he had attempted to replicate the werewolf race similar to the way they had with vampires… Well, Hans had held a slight grudge against the wicked human for the painful procedures. The human had a sick love for causing pain, which only escalated when that pain was followed by successful research. Hans had never particularly hated the man, but he was uncomfortable with what sort of madness the man would unleash without the Major to control him.

He didn't want to be caught by any of the anti-werewolf weaponry he knew the Dokter had invented, much less subjected to experiments without the Major to step in when he was at his limit. But, the thought of Seras going after the scientist alone and with little or no knowledge of what he was capable of outweighed that.

* * *

**Seras POV:**

After sleeping through the day, Seras was ready to get to work as soon as the sun faded in the sky. The two of them had to get to a rather remote village bordering the Baltic Sea which was the last location which had shown any evidence of surviving Nazi activity. The village had no motels, but Seras had been able to locate a bed and breakfast type of place which had a room available. She was actually thankful for Hans being there as a couple visiting a bed and breakfast was far less suspicious than if she had been alone.

It was late in the night by the time they reached their destination, so they decided to scout out the area. Hans had taken to his wolf form and was moving about with his nose to the ground. Although Seras knew it was mostly her job to find any clues, she had a feeling Hans would find it quicker with his nose than she could with her eyes. Plus she wasn't even positive what it was they were looking for. An underground bunker perhaps? Another giant blimp?

While Hans searched for a scent, Seras kept her eyes on their surroundings. According to Sir Integra there was evidence of ghouls and FREAK chipped vampires in the area, which means they needed to be careful not to be seen. Although she wasn't too sure how well they blended in since Hans was gigantic white wolf whose shoulders easily were several inches taller than her head.

"Find anything, Hans?"

He stopped midstride and lifted his head from the ground to look at her for a moment as if considering her question. She couldn't help but admire him, even in wolf form he was incredibly handsome. The moon was full and bright in the cloudless sky and it reminded her of how he had explained that he worshipped the moon. She slumped down into the soft grasses, smiling as he cocked his head at her questioningly.

She simply patted the grass next to her. Hans shook himself then lay down next to her, his tail sweeping back and forth against the grass. With a soft giggle Seras rested her hand on the back of his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his soft fur. Hans started making that rumbling sound in his chest as if to tell her he was comfortable like this.

"I think understand why you worship the Moon. It must be nice to have a deity you can see. I know I work for Hellsing and they serve the Queen and the Protestant Church, but sometimes I wonder what will happen when I die? Will I be damned or will I still go to heaven?"

She started rambling as she grew nervous knowing that he could not answer her. Hans was staring at her, his ears swiveling at each word. Seras began to fidget as an awkward silence fell between them. Had she gotten to personal? Or was he just not interested? Why did she have to ruin the moment with philosophical worries?

She jumped slightly as Hans lifted himself up into a sitting position, then threw back his head and let out a loud howl. His voice was the same as she had heard it back in the Hellsing estate, but it was not so sorrowful this time. It was the same deep baritone, but it sounded joyful as it rose in pitch and held on a higher note then fell back down to quiet. The sound of his voice echoed in the distance and the crickets and frogs in the area had been hushed into silence.

Hans kept his snout pointed towards the moon with a look in his eyes that Seras could only describe as reverence. She had never thought that he would be religious in any way, especially not before she had actually gotten to know him. He fought like a demon, but he was more than just brute strength. She could almost imagine him in the snowy mountains of 18th century Germany, along with a pack of other werewolves.

Seras suddenly remembered the intense loneliness she had felt while drinking his blood, it had overpowered all his other emotions. She had tasted anger, resentment, sorrow, and a deep sense of loss in his life essence, but they had all been suppressed by the overwhelming since of solitude. How long had he been alone?

With a soft sigh, Seras reach out and wrapped her arms around Hans' neck and buried her face into his pale fur. He smelled like the earth and she could feel his chest rise and fall as he breathed. She just wanted to stay like this for a while, although she suspected it was more her benefit than his. But, she was surprised when she felt his warm breath on her cheek as he craned his head around to look at her. Looking up, Seras gave him an apologetic smile and let go.

"I'm sorry… Let's keep searching, okay?"

* * *

**Scandinavia 19****th**** century**

Hans and Nakita ate in silence, both mutually irritated with the other. The amber pelted female had her rear towards him so that she was looking away from him as she daintily chewed on the elk's meaty rump. He pretended not to notice her blatant snubbing and focused on his own meal.

Hans was startled by a low growl from behind him and whirled around mid-chew to find himself facing a pack of five wolfkin. How had he missed the signs that this was a pack's territory? Neither he nor Nakita had picked up the scents of claimed territory and this pack had managed to sneak up on them while they ate. Taking another pack's prey on their claimed territory was a major offense, sometimes punished by death. He immediately tucked his tail and backed away, bumping into Nakita as he did so. The female turned to see what he was doing and yelped loudly when she saw the pack. None of them were as big as any of the Alphas Hans had seen in his lifetime, but they were all full-grown adults. The most aggressive of them was female with gray fur who was advancing towards him with a wicked snarl.

'_You are trespassing on our hunting grounds and killed our elk.'_

The lead female accused them with a bitter snarl and her followers echoed the sentiment. Hans forced himself to appear submissive as he carefully kept a few feet between himself and the others. Nakita was whimpering behind pitifully, which was probably the best way to appease the wolves they had wronged.

'_We didn't know this was your land. We'll leave immediately.'_

Hans carefully started to turn as if to leave but was cut off by the gray female skirting around him and blocking his path. They were surrounded.

'_No, we will bring you to our Alpha. Only the Alpha can decide your punishment and if you may leave alive.'_

He knew that they were overpowered and neither had any chance of fleeing from the other wolves who knew the land better than they did. But, risking the wrath of their Alpha could result in their swift execution. But, they had little choice as they were herded away from their kill.

The landscape grew denser with trees and had begun to slope uphill, but Hans had little chance to look around. If he or Nakita attempted to look around or hold their head up they were quickly reprimanded. Compared to the five native wolves, Nakita was a great deal smaller. Hans was nearly their size, but he was not yet full grown. Their youth could aid them in gaining the Alpha's forgiveness as neither of them would be seen as a threat to his position. But, they were not so young that they were guaranteed absolution.

The forest came to a clearing as their path began obstructed by boulders which littered a riverbed, forcing them to jump from one stone to another to avoid falling into the water below. Moss only grew on the sides of the rocks, suggesting that the natives used these rocks to cross the river frequently.

A new chorus of growls and barks heralded their arrival at the pack's den. Hans and Nakita were now surrounded by nearly twelve wolves as the gray female he assumed was the Beta darted into the den. A few moments later she reemerged with an Alpha female. Hans had never seen a female so large, she had to be at least nine hundred years old. Her pelt was a deep reddish-brown with ebony accents on her legs and face. She had golden eyes and a small battle scar on her nose.

The regal female glided towards them and Hans realized she was easily three times his size. The Alpha female sniffed at them both, circling them thoughtfully. Her attitude was neither aggressive nor friendly, but her presence alone demanded obedience.

'_What brings you pups to my hunting grounds?'_

Hans felt a small pang of embarrassment at the patronizing tone the Alpha had taken by calling them pups, although compared to the age he assumed she was they were little more than juveniles at best. This female could easily swat them like flies with her massive paws, which Hans suspected was the culprit in her total lack of aggression towards them.

'_We are very sorry. We did not know these lands were claimed or that the elk belonged to you.'_

The Alpha lifted her lip in a low growl, warning him to stay quiet. She leaned in towards him and with her lips lifted so that her fangs were visible in a foreboding display of dominance. Hans wasn't stupid, although he had gotten rather used to being the dominant personality with Nakita as his only companion. Swallowing his pride he tucked his tail and rolled on his back as the Alpha growled with her teeth right above his wind pipe. She could kill him now if she wished, but he suspected she only wanted his submission.

'_Do you follow Sol or Mani, young ones?'_

The Alpha female sat upon her haunches and had taken on a motherly tone. Hans carefully rolled onto his belly, but was uncertain if he should stand or not. Nakita was still cowering and shivering silently next to him, half way showing her belly and half ready to run.

'_I'm sorry, Alpha. I don't understand your question.'_

The Alpha female sighed deeply as she looked at him directly, causing Hans to instantly avert his gaze down to avoid upsetting her.

'_Your sire and dam failed to educate you on the masters of our species?'_

'_My dam taught me of the Moon Mother, but I have never heard those titles before.'_

'_Then you are a child of Mani, although the Moon Mother, as you call her, has many names. The ancients called the Moon Mani, while others called the Moon Nott to reference the Moon, Stars, and Night as one. Sol, or Sunna, is the sun, worshipped by some of our kind as their ancestors taught them… Since you are a juvenile and a fellow worshipper of Nott, I will allow you a chance to redeem yourself in my eyes.'_

'_Thank you, Alpha'_

The graceful Alpha looked between Nakita and Hans carefully and then sniffed them both in turn to learn their scent.

'_I am Snotra, Alpha Female.'_

'_I am Hans and this is Nakita.'_

'_You are not from the same pack? Hans is Scandinavian and Nakita is Slavic. An interesting pair you make, Gracious and Unconquerable.'_

'_We have been companions for some time, but are not of the same pack.'_

The Alpha female stood as if she felt somewhat troubled about their comradery. The other wolves gathered around them and proceeded to sniff, nip, and bark. Hans felt somewhat relieved that they had a chance at joining a pack, but they would both be on the bottom of the totem pole.

* * *

**Hans POV:**

Seras was hugging him. As little as he knew about human interactions, he did know what a hug was. It was a display of affection or an attempt to console or comfort; at times it could be a greeting or farewell. So which type of hug was this? Hans craned his neck around and sniffed gently at her, trying to pick up some clues about her emotions through his nose. There was a slightly salty scent in the air, was she crying? Yes, she was crying. He could smell the strange mixture of salty tears and blood that was vampire tears. Why was she crying?

Hans whined softly, beginning to feel concerned for her. After a moment she sniffed and looked up, her eyes showing blood mist around their rims. Then she smiled at him as if she were sorry about something, further confusing him. Seras was difficult for him to read, her body language and words didn't match up with each other.

"I'm sorry… Let's keep searching, okay?"

She stood and began walking away again, leaving Hans alone on the hill. Instead of following her right away, Hans looked up at the Moon Mother again. Why had he lost his faith after the war? It was comforting to see the moon in the night sky, knowing he could sing to her about his sorrows.

As Seras moved out of his line of sight, he lifted his snout up again and raised his voice to the Moon Mother. His pitch was deep and his tone uncertain, wishing for guidance. His life had taken such an unexpected turn and now the same person who had nearly ended him, was a person he was beginning to care for. But, Seras was so sweet and innocent. His tone turned mournful as he hit the high note of his howl.

* * *

**Well here's chapter 11. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll have another out by Sunday. But, first I'd like to explain a few of the Russian terms Nakita uses in conversation. :)**

**Der'mó is a Russian slang term. In this case it's similar to 'Oh shit'**

**Svóloch is another Russian slang term meaning 'Asshole'**

**Snotra is a very important OC I brought in. :) I named her after a Norse goddess, although I want to be clear that she is not meant to actually 'be' said goddess, merely reference her due to similar character traits(I know I lack originality in naming my OC's XD). Anyway, let me know in the Reviews what you think of the new OC!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Sorry for the horribly long wait guys. I've had a crazy time lately between work and a bunch of college tests/term projects managing to all be due last week before Thanksgiving break -_-. **

* * *

**Scandinavia, 19****th**** century**

The sun was beginning to set and the pack was beginning to ready themselves for a hunt. The past few days had been spent with each wolf reinforcing his or her position in the pack, which had been rough on both him and Nakita. However, with her meek nature, Nakita had had the most difficult experience. The former Omega of the pack had literally jumped on the opportunity to advance his social status and been knocking her over and biting her. Poor Nakita had become the new Omega almost instantaneously.

Hans, however, had secured a more advantageous rank for himself. After several minor fights, he had at least four subordinates, including Nakita. Luckily for her, this meant he was in a position to discipline the former Omega which had mercilessly been bullying her. But, it seemed that the pack had calmed down and become satisfied with their new pack members.

The Alpha, Snotra, had quickly become a great point of interest for Hans. She was a quiet and mysterious creature, but her presence alone was on par with a force of nature. He had not even been aware that such an ancient wolfkin still lived. There was no male Alpha among the pack because there was no male wolf able to earn a place as Snotra's equal. It was quite possible that she was the last surviving ancient of their species. However, this also put her in the rare position of being a mateless Alpha female. Their new pack was a little unconventional, but Hans felt that it was appropriate that they bend the typical pack hierarchical setup for Snotra to be the sole Alpha.

The first hunting party announced their leave as half of the pack went in search of their meal under the leadership of the Beta. Hans watched as the group trotted off into the woods while the rest stayed behind to guard the den. There were several young pups under a five decades old in the den that still needed a constant eye kept on them. Nakita had quickly been put in the position of their nurse whenever their mothers were away as it was not the most desirable job within the pack. However, Hans was pleased to see that his gentle comrade had taken to her position with ease now that she wasn't being picked on by the others.

He watched quietly as Nakita played with the five pups just outside the den. They were all legs and puppy fuzz as they jumped, tumbled, and wallowed all over her. But, she really was suited for that sort of responsibility rather than hunting or guarding.

'_I see the two of you have settled into my pack?'_

Hans turned to see the Alpha as she glided over to him. Respectfully he lowered his head and averted his gaze down. Snotra took a seat next to him and hummed her approval as she watched Nakita playing with the pups.

'_Yes, I am very grateful for your kindness.'_

'_So polite for one so young, but your speech is stiff. Your eyes tell me what your words do not. Tell me, Hans, what is that female to you? I can imagine you pulled her weight as well as your own while the two of you were rogues.'_

Hans felt a small pang in his heart at the question posed to him, it was one which had been bothering him for decades. He knew all too well that he had no answer for either himself or the Alpha. Yet, as he dared a look at his new Alpha, he could sense that she expected an answer.

'_I've asked myself that question many times, Alpha. She has been my only companion since my pack was killed, but I know very little about her past. Neither of us has spoken much about our lives before we were together.'_

'_I believe she has said that she hails from the Caucasus, but her name and speech is Slavic. However, I can say nearly the same of you, Hans. You were born in Germania, but your name is Scandinavian. A name for our kind is more than just a title, Hans. It is a prayer of the parents about what they wish for their offspring. I fear that neither of you have achieved what your sires and dames wished for you.'_

Hans winced at the biting words of the Alpha, but he knew that they were true. His name meant Gracious One, because his mother had wished for him to be a kind leader. Nakita's name meant Unconquerable, most likely her parents had wished for her to be a fierce warrior. Now he had become a rather cold loner who could barely understand his own feelings, while Nakita was an Omega. They were both nearly the exact opposite of what their parents had wished for their futures.

'_Come with me, Hans.'_

The Alpha's command brought him instantly to his feet as she stood and began to walk towards the woods. He walked behind her silently, marveling at her size. The tips of his ears were nearly two feett beneath the apex of her shoulders and she was nearly as long from nose to tail as a large horse. He felt like a small pup next to her, but it was oddly comforting.

'_Do you know the story of our kind, Gracious?'_

'_No, Alpha.'_

'_We were born of a god, one which the humans knew in ancient times. The trickster god, Loki, mated with Ngrboda. Their eldest offspring was Hróðvitnir, our forefather. His siblings were Hel, Queen of the Underworld, and Jormungand ,the great sea serpent. Hróðvitnir was the first true blood of our kind, but the offspring of the Trickster came under scrutiny by the ancient gods. Hel was banished to Helheim and the Serpent to the sea. But, they brought our forefather to their great hall to become a watch dog. He was fed and raised by Tyr, the god of war. But, he grew too quickly and was too strong for them to control. The gods feared him, even more so when they learned of a prophecy that he would kill their god king.'_

Snotra went quiet for a moment as they came to a small pond surrounded by ancient moss covered trees. Frogs chirped happily as they feasted upon the crickets and other insects buzzing around their watery home. Mountain flowers which Hans had not seen since he had been forced to leave his own alpine home also grew here. The Alpha sat upon a soft patch of moss and stared down into the pond, watching as the frogs hopped into the safety of the water.

'_None dared to challenge Hróðvitnir, so they resorted to trickery. The gods told him he was weak, so he challenged them to bind him with their strongest chains. Each time the wolf broke free as if he were bound by a spider's thread. Until they devised a magic chain. By then the wolf had grown wary of their schemes, so Tyr offered an olive branch. If the god of war laid his hand inside the wolf's mouth as he was being bound, it would ensure that this was all in good fun. But, when the wolf could not break free and the gods would not release him, Hróðvitnir bit off Tyr's hand. The gods placed a sword between his teeth and chained him to a stone, then buried him deep within the earth. All to protect their precious king.'_

'_Did he escape?'_

'_No, child, he is still trapped within the earth. But, he was part god and so is immortal. However, before he was bound he sired two pups with a giantess, Hati and Skoll. Hati loved the sun and so chased the moon in an attempt to devour her. Skoll loved the moon and so chased the sun to devour it. Their offspring are us. Our kind which worship the moon descend from Skoll and those who worship the sun come from Hati. Ancient humans believed them evil, that they would bring about the end times.'_

'_Is that why humans hunt us?'_

'_Perhaps, but who can say what other creature's think? It is not for us to wonder about the motives of others. Instead, we must focus on ourselves. Our kind has begun to forget our past. Do you know what happens when we forget ourselves, Hans?'_

Hans thought for a moment, uncertain of the answer. Snotra had given him a great deal to process and he had begun to doubt everything he thought was true before meeting her. What his mother had taught him did match up with the facts the Alpha presented, but they were so simplified compared to the truth.

'_I don't know, Alpha.'_

'_We cease to be what we are. Our kind is weakening with each generation as the blood of the gods thins. There are wolves in the world which are merely animals, the blood of deities has faded from their bloodlines. They no longer can change their form nor heal their wounds and they die very young and small.'_

Snotra reached out her snout towards him and nudged his cheek gently. The Alpha hummed comfortingly as Hans continued to turn over all the information in his head. He had never come across such a gentle Alpha, although he was sure she rarely needed to remind the others of her dominance. Her fangs alone were three inches long and now that he saw her up close, she had many small battle scars on her body.

'_What about you, Alpha? Where are you from?'_

'_I am one of the first of our kind, Hans. Skoll was my great grand-sire, which is why I have lived so long and aged so little. I am one of the last of our kind with nearly pure blood. I am sure you have noticed our kind has those born to lead and those born to follow? The reason for that is the purity of their bloodline. At times in history our kind has mated with other species, including humans and some creatures which have long since been extinct. The less pure the bloodline, the weaker the offspring become, until their offspring become nothing more than mortal animals which barely live two decades.'_

* * *

**Hans POV:**

A gunshot pierced the peaceful night, instantly followed by the unmistakable scent of ghoul blood. He was on his feet and galloping in the direction he had last scene Seras just moments before. The sounds of battle reached his ears as he burst through the trees, causing a brief pause in the scene. Seras was surrounded by ghouls and several chipped vampires, although she had already dispatched many of them with her gun. The ghouls weren't a problem for her, but the FREAK vampires would be a challenge.

Hans snarled and lunged toward the nearest ghoul, teeth sinking into the rotting flesh as if it were merely paper. He only had to clench his jaws to snap through the flesh and bones, ripping the wretched creature in half without even missing a beat in his step. Seras shot two more ghouls as Hans plowed into the main horde, sending the flimsy abominations flying in every direction.

A FREAK vampire stepped into Hans' view and he roared in challenge as he met the false vampire head on. They crashed together in a frenzy of blood, fur, and snarls. Hans tore off the vampire's arm just as his opponent unloaded several bullets into his chest. They had no silver in them, making them little more than stinging irritation for him as they healed almost instantly.

Hans shifted, allowing his mystified body to reform into his wolf-man form behind his opponent. He punched the creature square in the chest, reaching its heart and crushing it. The vampire was dead before it even hit the ground as Hans leapt after another ghoul. Gunshots rang out as Seras dispatched the rest of the ghouls, leaving only three FREAK vampires left. The three monsters stand together only five feet away from Hans and Seras, both sides staring at each other murderously.

Another shot rang out, but it did not come from Seras or the visible vampires. Hans felt his instincts kicked in as his brain processed what had happened. He had dealt with this too many times in the war, hidden sharp shooters with high powered rifles. The shot would be heard, but the actual bullet would be delayed by seconds. He threw Seras to the ground just as the bullet whizzed through the air and lodged itself deep into his shoulder, exploding into a rain of blood of tiny pieces of shrapnel. The exploding round shattered his collarbone and sent him to the ground in agony.

His body was already beginning to heal when two more shots rang out. The first missed and shattered a nearby tree trunk, while the only lodged something firmly into his side. He felt what it was far before he saw it. Silver was flooding his bloodstream from his side, searing his veins and violently contorting his muscles. He knew what this was. It was a dart the doktor had created which was filled with a mixture of silver and a horse tranquilizer, designed to not only knock a werewolf out, but also to guarantee their healing wouldn't hinder the tranquilizing effect. It wasn't meant to kill him, it was meant to capture him.

* * *

**Seras POV:**

Seras crawled towards Hans as he writhed on the ground after the bullet had torn into his shoulder, trying to keep herself from getting shot as she did so. She didn't have time to locate the sniper and shoot him and the FREAK vampires had already escaped into the forest. They needed to retreat for now.

She grabbed onto Hans' good arm and pulled him into the safety of the trees to avoid any further gun wounds. Once out of sight, Seras hauled him up and slung his good arm over her shoulder and began to walk as fast she could with her oversized burden. He was surprisingly heavy, even more so as he seemed to be going limp and no longer moving his legs to walk.

Looking over at him, Seras realized he was passed out cold. They didn't have time for this; she just needed to find a place to lie low while he healed. Seras pulled on his arm and heaved his weight up on her back, his head lolling next to her own as she did her best to jog forward. Soon they were back out from the forest and heading down the hill towards the village, which offered little relief to her eyes. With Hans half transformed and knocked out, she couldn't take him into the village.

After several minutes of picking her way down a steep hill, Seras caught sight of a nearby barn. It would be a perfect hiding place if they could reach it before their pursuers saw where they were headed. She quickly reached the large structure and opened the door to sling them both inside.

"Oh my god…" She breathed, wiping sweat from her brow as she slumped down to the dirt floor next to Hans.

After she had caught her breath, she began to examine her injured comrade. His shoulder was nearly obliterated and she could see the splintered bones in the raw flesh. Why wasn't he healing? She began to look over the rest of him and found a tiny dart in his side. That explained why he was asleep at a time like this. What sort of tranquilizer had they used to knock him out that quickly?

* * *

**Scandinavia 20th Century**

Nearly a half a century had passed since Hans and Nakita had joined Snotra's pack. Throughout the decades Nakita had kept her place as the Omega, the lowest rank in the pack. However, Hans had been climbing the hierachical ladder mercilessly. The ancient alpha had shared many secrets of their kind with him over the years and eventually, it had come to this.

A battle with the current Beta.

The position of Beta was the highest a non-alpha could achieve, their order was the law and could only be overturned by the Alpha. Hans had grown in size, strength, and knowledge since Snotra had taken him under her wing. But, now he had to take his place as the Beta, assuming he could even win the battle.

The entire pack was circled around the pair of massive wolves as they circled each other. Hans had grown larger than the grey beta female and he loomed over her as the two of them snarled and tested each other. Neither was stupid enough to jump straight into the battle, both were calculating the other. This was a battle of tactical abilities, not sheer strength.

Snotra sat in the midst of the pack, watching her current Beta and Hans with sharp eyes. Whenever a rank challenge was isued within a pack it tended to cause a bit of chaos. Some pack members would back the challenger, while others would support the challengee. Nothing would be set right until one of the two wolves earned the right to keep or take the title.

The Beta, called Khali, was not a native to this continent. Hans had heard many stories about where she had come from and how she had gotten here, but she was a fierce fighter. Powerful, swift, and intelligent... She was the perfect beta and to surpass her would be to take that title as his own.

Hans circled, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Khali moved with perfect grace and watched him with her piercing black eyes, growling angrily at him. The two of them had never gotten along well together, as if they had always know it would come this. There was a dreadful silence except for their growling, everyone was holding their breath.

Then Hans saw his opening. Something in the distance, that Hans hadn't noticed himself, caught Khali's attention. She looked away and before she could turn back he had lunged at her. He crashed into her with all of his power and weight, bowling her over. She bit into his foreleg as he attempted to pin her, forcing him to pull away to free his leg.

But, their battle was suddenly halted.

A loud shrieking cry of one of the females shattered their focus and forced the entire pack to look towards the sound. Khali stood quietly, stealing a glance at Hans as everyone looked around in alarm. They were all concerned, yet none of them could find the source of the pained scream.

A searing pain exploded into Hans' shoulder and sent him crashing to the ground, thrashing around in an attempt to find the source of his pain. More enraged howls erupted around him, but Hans was seeing nothing but red. He was enraged by pain and anger, knowing someone or something had stalked and attacked his pack. His very veins were burning as if his blood had turned to acid and the wound refused to heal.

_'Get up, Han!'_

The powerful voice of the Alpha brought him to his feet, favoring his wounded leg. He looked around angrily, wanting nothing more than to rip apart anything that wasn't a pack member. Finally his eyes locked onto a bipedal figure dressed in black, a human? His mouth was pulled upward, showing his teeth in a strange facial expression Hans had never seen again. The biped seemed to catch sight of him too as they met each others gazes. Hans let loose a furious roar as he charged the human, his bloodlust and rage kept him from wondering why the human charged him as well.

They met in a maddening explosion of blood, snarls, and yells as Hans pinned the human to the ground with nothing but his weight. The human showed no fear as he grabbed Hans by the throat, barely keeping the wolf from tearing out his windpipe. All around them war was being waged, between his pack and the strange humans which had ambushed them. The humans carried weapons which seemed to sting the wolves horribly, but this human carried no such thing. He was incredibly strong compared to what Hans had always thought of the weak humans which plagued the earth.

Then another pain bit through his belly, sending him sideways to the dirt. The human had stabbed him. The creature loomed over him as he lay on the ground, watching him with wicked eyes. It was muttering something he did not understand as it poised to thrust another blade through his heart. Hans growled, unwilling to show weakness to an enemy.

_'Filthy biped!'_

Hans blicked as a flash of amber brown and black latched onto the human's arm, ripping it off in a shower of blood, cloth, and shattered bones. Snotra stood over Hans as she spat the limb from her mouth and towered over the human who barely even blinked at loosing his arm.

_'This vermin is unnatural. Neither inhuman nor human. An abomination!'_

Snotra's snarl shook Hans to the bone, the power of her voice causing the entire battlefeild to pause and glance her way. The human met her gaze with a crazed cackling sound as he suddenly rushed towards her, following her movements as she dodged his initial attack. Then the Alpha began to transform, her misting body contorting around the human's attacks as she took her biped form. She stood over the man partially a wolf and partially humanoid in appearance, her body covered in bronze fur and a long mane of ebony hair falling to past the tip of her tail. She opened her mouth and let out an earth shattering roar, every fang in her mouth seeming to jump at the chance to tear her opponent apart.

The two of them went back and forth, the Alpha clearly having the upper hand and yet the human still seemed unperturbed. He slashed at Snotra with the hand he had left, muttering and cackling at every turn. She slashed his chest with her claws and knocked him to the ground witht he sickening crackle of his rib cage splintering from her strength.

Finally she had him pinned and was ready to end it. Everything seemed to pause as all the surviving warriors turned to see which leader would come out victorious. Snotra lunged forward, intending to rip the human's very heart out as the killing blow. But, she stopped mid attack and Hans watched warily from behind her as she was still for a moment. He could only see her back and her long black hair barely sweeping the earth beneath her. Then she slumped forward and fell, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

All the wolves cried in horror as the ancient Alpha fell and the human rolled her body off of himself, revealing that he had thrust a knife straight through her heart. They could al feel her pain through their mind link as she spasmed several times and coughed blood from her mouth and nose.

Then she was still.

* * *

**Anyone care to guess who this human was? :P**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

**Scandinavia, 20****th**** century**

_The pack scattered when the Alpha fell dead on the ground. _

The void in their mental links at her death had reduced them all to a confused panic, that powerful presence which had commanded them all was now gone. They were without leadership and suddenly, nothing was holding them together anymore. It was if the main thread of a spider's web had suddenly snapped, causing the entire structure to plummet to the ground in ruin.

_'Hans!'_

Nakita shrieked in horror as the murderer of their alpha began to stalk towards him. Bloodlust filled him and he snarled in outrage, but Nakita's cries held him back. If an ancient three times his size and with over a thousand years of battle experience had fallen to this monster, then he certainly would as well.

_'Nakita... run.'_

He could feel her resist his order, but as the rest began to flee she obeyed him. Khali was attempting to rein in the chaos, being the current Beta meant that the role of Alpha was now her's. Yet, with the current panic within the pack there was no real leader. Hans glared at his enemy one last time, then turned to run after Nakita in retreat. These bastards had won this battle, but they would not win the war. Ambushing his pack, whom had carefully avoided humans altogether, was unforgivable and was beyond his understanding. Why would these humans attack them unprovoked? The pack dwelled miles from any human communities, there was no reason behind this near massacre.

As he ran, he could see the true damage this ambush had caused. The bodies of his pack littered the ground, several still clinging to their last moments of life. The sounds of battle had been reduced to the lamentations of the dying. The humans pursued them into the woods, but were no match for the speed of the wolves.

He and Nakita ran for miles before they finally halted to catch their breath, satisfied that they had lost their pursuers. But, the mournful wails of surviving pack members told them they were not alone. The heartbroken voices of the survivors slowly led to their regrouping.

Out of a pack of nearly twenty, only seven remained. Khali had been the last to leave the battle field and had circled back to witness what would happen to those left behind. For a moment, their weeping was silenced, as she stoof before them all. Her grey fur was matted with dried blood and she was missing most of her left ear, which was now red and swollen. She was walking with a limp in her stride, yet still held her head high. She gave Hans a very deliberate look and he joined her before the pack, realizing that she was now Alpha and he was her Beta.

_'We, my brothers and sisters, are the only survivors. I witnessed the post battle actions of these monsters and they have committed an atrocity against our kind... Our dead lay as they fell, the dying were not put out of their misery and lay suffering as their enemies taunted them, and they broke the necks of our pups in the den.'_

As Khali told what she had seen, the five wolves before them began to cry and wail in a mixture of sorrow and anger. Two of them had lost mates in the battle and a third had lost both his mate and offspring, a fourth was a young male who now had no parents nor siblings, while Nakita merely stared at the ground in shock. As the pained howls grew quiet, Khali again took a deep breath.

_'Our way of life is no more. This was not a chance happening. These humans hunted us, planned their attack, and massacred our families. What they have done is an act of war and their crimes cannot go unpunished. Tomorrow we will honor our dead as has been our custom since the dawn of time. Then, my brothers and sisters, we will go to war. We will punish these humans or die trying.'_

At the end of her declaration, the pack barked, snarled, and howled their approval. None of them wished to attempt to go back to normalcy. They merely wanted revenge. None of them slept that night. Instead, they sang the songs of mourning and the lamentations to honor the dead. The entire forest echoed with the sounds of their voices until the dawn finally came and they returned to bury their dead.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

She managed to drag Hans to a more inconspicuous corner of the barn, trying desperately to figure out what she should do. He was bleeding out and not healing, not to mention he was knocked out cold. She tore cloth off of her shirt and held it against his bleeding shoulder, attempting to stop it somewhat.

Footsteps sounded outside and she held her breath as she heard the door open. Seras felt her skin prickle as an ominous feeling swept over her as if she could literally feel the presence of the being which stepped through the door. She silently prayed that the pile of old equipment would keep them out of sight and hoped that this person would not hear her heart beating wildly in her chest.

Panic set in as she turned to try to sneak a glance of who was in the barn with them. It was as if a jolt of pure terror went through her as she laid her eyes on a tall female in an SS officer uniform. Seras couldn't describe where this fear was coming from, it was if some horrible wave of evil was emanating from the nazi woman standing only five feet from them.

She wore a fitted blue military coat with silver buttons. The pockets on both sides of her chest were adorned with medals that had to date back to the second world war and her lapels had the swastika pins on either side. A belt was cinched snugly around her slender waist and a knee-length blue skirt with two pleats hugged her thighs, while a pair of boots adorned her feet.

She scanned the area in silence, her face appearing somewhat gaunt and devoid of expression. Her hair was in a sloppy bun underneath a typically pointed nazi, military styled hat with the totenkopf on the front. Her skin was a dull copper tone as if she were naturally tan, but had gone a long period of time without setting foot into the sunlight. Was she another chipped vampire officer? One of those elite like the one which had killed Pip? Or as Hans had once been?

Then as if she had sensed Seras' gaze, the woman turned on her heel and locked eyes with the draculina. With a gasp, Seras prepared herself to fight, but it never came. The woman did not draw any weapons, merely stared at Seras with a dull, unimpressed expression on her face. The stoicism reminded her of Hans, although the iron will he had wasn't there in this nazi female. Her stoicism held an air of death about it, as she had given up and merely went about the motions.

_Like a ghost._

Seras took a deep breath as the woman stepped towards her, as if she were approaching a stray cat and cared not if it struck her. The overwhelming waves of fear intensified as she drew closer to Seras, freezing her in place. It was as if this woman had some sort of power over her, making her completely unable to move... frozen in fear.

The nazi officer stopped and stood next to Seras,giving her a cold look of contempt. The unexpected expression only caused Seras' fear to worsen, but still the nazi did not attack. She stared down at Hans with a strange expression, as if she were surprised to find him. Perhaps they had worked together in Millenium and she was startled at the fact that he was with Seras now.

Slowly the woman knelt next to him and reached out a leather gloved hand towards him, but stopped midway and pulled her hand back to herself. Seras watched, willing all of her muscles to move and yet remaining frozen in place. It was as if some invisible, evil feeling force was holding her in place. Not even her finger could twitch.

She was forced to watch as the woman reached into a small pouch attached to her belt and pulled out a small vile with a cork in it. She reached out and roughly forced Hans' mouth open, pouring it's contents into his mouth and forcing it shut so that he would have to swallow it. Seras tried to move, tried to speak, tried to do something... anything... What had this thing just done? Had she poisoned him? If it wasn't something like that, she would not have needed to restrain Seras.

The woman then turned and looked at Seras, reaching out with a hand and touching her forehead with a single finger. It was as if a jolt of pure electricity jolted through her body, causing her to scream and writhe in agony as she fell to the floor. She was vaguely aware of the woman slinging her over her shoulder, like a sack of potatoes, before she finally blacked out...

* * *

**Scandinavia 20th century**

The wolves returned to the battlefield in grim silence after first scouting the area for signs of the humans from the day before. They had found signs that the humans had made camp, but left before the sunrise. Now the sun was slowly beginning to set and they knew that now was the time to honor their dead, as was their custom.

Khali and Hans themselves dug the grave for their fallen leader, shoveling the dirt with their paws in a tense silence. It was in their nature to hunt, track, scout, and wage war. But, they were the top predators here and it was not in their nature to worry about becoming the prey of a lesser being. Even rival packs did not ambush each other as the humans had done the night before. There was still a sense of honor among the different packs. They may die in war, but their wars were waged face to face.

_'Trespassers!'_

The alarm brought them all to their feet. The seven of them all stared with bared teeth and wicked snarls at the small group of humans which appeared from the forest. It was merely a group of three bipeds, none of them were the same humans which had ambushed them the night before. They dressed in green adorned with silver and strange emblems, walking as if they held some sort of command in a land they did not own.

"Calm down mein friends. I am not your enemy. Nein, in fact, I am the enemy of your enemy. That makes me your friend, ja?"

Khali and Hans both advanced towards these humans, listening to their words half heartedly. Hans could feel Khali's blood lust, yet he felt differently. Their entire pack had nearly been wiped out, how would only seven of them be able to gain revenge?

_'Hear him, Khali.'_

She turned on him with a snarl, attempting to remind him of her new Alpha position. Hans stared her in the eye and growled back, openly challenging her authority. For a tense moment, they both stood with their hackles up. Finally, Khali snorted and stalked towards the humans.

"You are difficult creatures to locate, mein friends. However, I fear not too difficult to locate, nein? I see that you fell victim to a certain organization. You see, mein friends, humans fear what they cannot control. There are organizations in this world, which have deemed certain creatures... well... unnatural. And that which humans deem unnatural, and not their own creations, they also deem evil. That is why, certain organizations are scowering the world and exterminating your entire species."

Hans felt his hackles raise again as angry growls and barks escaped what was left of their pack. Khali towered over the human, a short and rather overweight creature. She bared her teeth and snarled, eyes glaring at the human before her. The other two were silent, one a female with long black hair and another one a male. None of them showed signs of fear nor aggression.

_'Act of war... We have held these worms in higher regard than they deserved... Exterminate the wolfkin? Why? What have we done to warrant such a punishment?'_

The human seemed to anticipate her musings, for her laced his fingers together and smiled at them. There was something oddly commanding about this human. It was as if he felt in total control and that the outcome of this situation would be as he pleased it to be.

"You want to know why, don't you? Well, it's simple really. You exist. You are werewolves! These soldiers of the Church see your abilities to change shape as evil and demonic, only made stronger by your ties to the ancient gods. And they so they slaughter, merely because they feel you are not up to their standards. You want to know their names, don't you? The titles of the organizations which hunt you? You should, ja. After all. It is quite possible that the seven of you are the last of your kind. We have followed in the carnage of your oppressors and we have kept count of your dead. The number being five hundred thousand, give or take a few hundred. "

No sounds escaped them now as the grim news settled upon their ears, making them realize just how grave this situation was. The entire species... nearly wiped out by those monsters? Even Khali seemed to give in to the news, slowly losing her anger towards the new comers.

"Join me, mein friends. A war is coming, one that will be fought both in the shadows and in the light. I am in charge of those who fight in the shadows, those deemed unnatural by the self righteous of the church. Join me and you will become the esteemed, the feared... The Waffen SS Werwolf Army. The elite few. You see, mein friends, I too am not as I seem. You think us human, ja? Well, we are so much more than that. And, if you join us, you will not only face both Hellsing and Iscariot, those organizations responsible for the massacre of your species, but you will slaughter them. You can bathe in their blood if you please. You can place their heads upon pikes, tear them limb from limb, exterminate them, I do not care. I only love war. I only want war. My only wish, my only want, is to make war. I need no reason, so if your reason is to destroy them, then that can also be my reason. Give me war, mein friends, and I shall give you the means to achieve your revenge."

* * *

**Sorry for the again belated update and short chapter. College exams are next week and the week after, so I am really busy studying and working. Christmas break will give me some much needed free time and thus, more updates. Until then, I'll do my best to update weekly at the very least. :) Tell me your thoughts on this chapter. It's another cliffhanger, I know. But, the next part not only ends the flashbacks and brings the past into the present, but also gets to the heart of the plot. So it will be worth it, I promise :D. Reviews are always loved!**

**-Also I wanted to apologize for spelling errors in both this and previous chapters. After reading through it, I realized that my dyslexia kicked in a good bit and spell check didn't catch it. a lot of the time I will switch words that sound the same, but mean something different. Like Too for Two and bigger words than just those. When I have time I'll go through and edit, but all the free time I have now is studying and hopefully updating new chapters :)**


	15. Why I've been gone :(

Once again, let me apologize to everyone for how long it's been. One reader pointed out it had been two months. About 4 days after I posted, saying I would have the next chapter up in a week, my grandmother passed away from cancer she had been fighting for 9 years. One day she had a cold, two days later she was in ICU with pneumonia, and within three days of being hospitalized she passed away.

Needless to say I was heart broken. She was the last family member I had and I took it hard when I lost her.

But, I'm back in the saddle so to speak. I actually did have most of the chapter written to publish. So what I think I'm going to do is go ahead and post what I have now as a decent sized chapter, then finish the rest as another instead of the monster chapter I planned for it to be.

Anyways, I just want to thank everyone for the patience and apologize for the extended cliff hanger effect.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Germany 20th century**

The base of operations for the Waffen SS Werwolf army was an acquired estate, no doubt it had once belonged to some poor group of humans. The wolves which made up Herr Major's small elite army were all forced to take on their biped forms and don military uniforms. Even Khali wore the uncomfortable garments, all small sacrifices for their thirst for blood.

There were other inhuman beings within the estate, none which were born as they now were. There were several vampires which flocked about the Major, all stalking about in the shadows. They were all young and inexperienced as of yet, prototypes as the Dokter referred to them. The young vampires were without masters to take them under their wings and so they clung to Herr Major like orphaned pups to a wet-nurse.

_'Major has strange taste in companions. Wolfkin, vampir, and even several human scum. I hope we have our war soon, the stench of these vermin is giving me an eternal headache.'_

Khali had taken to griping her dislike of the creatures around them. She had always had strong hatred for the vampires and humans, despite their fragile alliance. The wolves had quickly become isolated among the Major's army, keeping to themselves and being granted a wide berth by those around them.

_'Herr Major does not pay attention to species, only the usefulness of the individual. We may find them distasteful, but I am sure they have their purpose.'_

Hans was the only one to answer Khali's complaints as the small group of them sat at a table in the middle of what had once been a ballroom, now turned into a disorganized mess hall to feed all the soldiers. The wolves were all served different meals than the vampires and humans, all of which sipped blood or a vile looking mush the humans called 'chow'. The wolves, on the other hand, were given what the Major called 'premium meals'. Herr Major liked to keep the wolves happy and well fed, never risking losing their coöperation. Everyone knew the wolves were the Major's favorites among the army, even Nakita was treated like a prized pet compared to the strict and overbearing treatment given to the normal soldiers.

_'Fodder for the humans' war technologies. Only the weakest of beasts need weapons not attached to their natural bodies to wage war. If only our race had hunted the worms before they bred like rabbits, we would be the dominant species instead of on the brink of extinction.'_

Khali snorted and growled as she stood to walk away from their table, followed by the others. Hans merely continued to sit at the table, ignoring Nakita's questioning glance as she realized he was not following the pack. He merely nodded her on and turned back to his meal, which was a selection of raw meats. It was all good parts of beef cattle from what he could tell, but he cared very little for what he ate, merely that he ate.

"Oh my, a lone wolf? How odd," Hans looked up as a feminine voice giggled from behind him.

A dark-haired draculina glided into the seat next to him, smiling at him with a toothy grin. For a moment, Hans just stared at her and wondered at the purpose of her ridiculous grin. Why did humans and vampires smile, anyway? If it was an expression of happiness, why would they smile at random so often?

Hans snorted and continued to eat, begrudgingly using the utensils Herr Major had insisted they learn how to use. He watched the female from the corner of his eye, pointedly giving her the cold shoulder. But, she simply continued to smile and adjusted the strange device which covered her eyes with clear glass.

"Is it true that werewolves can't talk? Or are you all just shy?"

Hans halted mid chew and turned to stare at her with annoyance. The vampire merely held her hands up in surrender, smiling at him sheepishly.

"Sorry, sorry... Okay, so you can't talk. Wierd, but it always seems like all of you werewolves are talking to each other. I thought that maybe you had your own language. Surely you don't all speak to each other with barks and growls."

Hans growled in response, not appreciating that his kinds means of communication was being so unappreciated. Humans and vampires thought themselves superior due to their technology and buildings, but a vampire could only achieve the level of mental communication the werewolves had by partaking in blood or taking a fledgling. The wolves had it at birth, always connected to each other. That was why they were the superior warriors among Herr Major's followers. Rather than waiting for a series of commands to be passed from one person to another or via technology, they could work as one well trained unit. Each one knowing exactly what the others were doing, receiving the Alpha's commands the moment she decided upon them. There was no delay, no mistakes, no timing issues. They were the top predators on earth and behaved as such.

"You are the one they call Captain, right?"

Again Hans growled in response to the female's prattling on. Captain was not his name, it was merely a title Herr Major had given him and many others in his pack. If anyone had bothered to learn the dynamics of their pack, they would have known that in such a small group each had their own title. Hans was the Beta, second only to Khali, the Alpha. The others were subordinates and Nakita was the Omega, the weakest link so to speak.

He simply continued to tear into his food, observing the draculina's expressions of disgust at his lack of table manners. Hans watched her from his peripheral vision as she seemed to inch closer and closer, prompting him to place an elbow on the table to protect his food. In a wolf pack, sharing wasn't exactly a prized quality in personality. The alpha and pups ate first, after that it was a free for all and if you didn't guard your portion of the kill you'd end up with nothing.

"Well Captian, I look forward to working with you in the near future. Rumor is that Herr Major has some wonderful plans which involves everyone!" she giggled and clapped her hands in excitement, ignoring his obvious lack of interest.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

The world felt like it was rocking and Seras could have sworn her body was tumbling through thin air, with no anchor to the ground. Were her eyes open or closed? Was she awake or asleep? Her ears felt as if she was swimming in the ocean, clogged with water and throwing off her balance. Was this death for vampires?

_'Little upir... Trapped... trapped...'_

Seras' mind suddenly felt overwhelmed with a horrible presence that overpowered everything, bringing her crashing down to earth and back into her body. Blinking, she saw that she was in a dark room. It was in ruins, everything broken and in dissaray. But all she could move were eyes, her body refused to answer her commands.

_I'm dreaming..._

Yes that had to be it. This was the typical nightmare of being trapped and unable to move, hyper aware of all that goes on around her. She was alone, yet not alone. Something else was here, but what was it?

The corner of her vision caught a glimpse of a shadow slinking about the edges of the room, a human? No, in her line of work humans were never the things that went bump in the night. Slowly the shadow came in and out of her vision, until finally it was right on top of her.

_'Poor little upir.'_

A clammy hand reached out to brush her cheek, making her aware of a blurry figure hovering over her. Something tickled her nose and she realized long, greasy hair was hanging down and brushing against her skin. Alarm shot through her like electricity. Something was wrong. _This_ was not right.

_'Nyet... You're not... not mine...'_

A rush of rage and hatred overpowered her, chilling her to the core. Strong, bony hands gripped her cheeks and squeezed until jagged nails cut into her cheeks. Finally the face of her attacker came into focus and it took a moment for her mind to fully register the horror in front of her.

A young woman... or rather... what used to be a young woman. She looked more horrible than any ghoul Seras had ever seen. She was merely bones with skin stretched over them, skin which had gone tallow long ago. Her hair was falling out in clumps and had left bald spots on her skull while most of her teeth appeared to have rotted out. Surprisingly, what few yellowed teeth she had left were all razor-sharp. Her hair was a dull, lifeless brown and appeared brittle and greasy from lack of care.

She was naked...

Every single rib bone jutted out, as if about to break through the fragile skin and her hip bones were clearly defined while her arms had wasted away long ago and maintained no muscle. Was she even alive?

_'Where... where did you take her? My shchenok...hmmm'_

As quickly as it hit her, the hate vanished and was replaced with emptiness. The living skeleton let go of her and moved away, slinking back into the shadows. She mumbled to herself, cradling her head and crying softly.

* * *

**Germany 20th century**

Hans stood under the moonlight and drank in the comfort of it, his keen eyes surveying the surroundings. In the distance, the shrieks of mortar fire and pops of gunfire broke the peaceful silence. These bipeds waged wars in an odd way. Partially in full view of the others and partially sneaking about in the shadow. He had been briefed on the battle plans, which were to flank the enemy as they slept. A cowardly move in his mind, but these were the same people who had ambushed countless of his species and slaughtered them endlessly. Who was he to show mercy to those who had shown none?

"Captain!"

Hans turned to look at the dark-haired draculina as she stalked toward him, the lines in her face reading that her news was not good. She saluted him, a gesture he did not return, and took a deep breath as she kneaded her eyebrows.

"The enemy is more than expected... There are two camps, one due east and the other north-west from our camp. They host elite groups of Iscariot and Hellsing, but are not cooperating with each other. I have scouts keeping watch over both, but it is too risky to do so from more than a distance. We do not have the forces to take on both Iscariot and Hellsing, Captain. We came here with enough for a covert mission into human soldiers' camps, not the veterans of the Church!"

Hans merely snorted at her cowardly words, taking little notice of her fear. She was new to war and battle, but he was not. Khali and the pack were patrolling the perimeter to keep any unwanted visitors from walking into the campsite, but Hans had been left to handle their non pack members. Khali had rather unceremoniously dumped the responsibility of handling anything that had to do with the humans, vampires, or any artificial in-between creatures on him.

The news certainly was unsettling, knowing that they were wedged between their most dangerous enemies did change things. Tactics were second nature to his kind though. A wolf without a plan of attack was a wolf without a meal, if not a dead wolf.

Quietly he looked up to the moon, wondering when the last time he had sung to the Moon Mother. Religion had hardly been on his mind since joining ranks with the Major. In fact, it had dwindled with each day spent in a bipedal form. He had noticed the others had slowly bothered less and less to change back into their true forms to go and sing to their goddess.

The draculina was still standing next to him, nervously awaiting some sort of reaction. Hans scanned the forest around them, calculating what course of action should be taken. He could feel unease in his pack, even at such a distance their emotions were easy to read. It was an unsettled lump in the pit of his gut, as with all of them.

The others were searching for the source of their ill ease, noses to the ground and eyes all around. No... no, they had not taken their true forms. They would be walking like simple human soldiers in an attempt to go without raising any attention or eye brows. Perhaps this was for the better. Hellsing and Iscariot would be gunning for vampires and wolfkin alike.

_'Alpha, I have recieved a report from the vampir called Rip.'_

Immediately he felt Khali's attention come crashing into his mind as if she were disturbed and nervous, not able to contain herself enough for mere conversation.

_'Iscariot and Hellsing? Worthless bipedal swine! We have at least three attempting to flank us now! What good are their scouting parties if they do not discover enemy locations before the enemy attempts to cross the borders of our camp!'_

Hans felt the nervous fury running through the pack like electricity, it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and his upper lip curl to reveal his fangs. His pack needed every member there to take on Iscariot and Hellsing at the same time. Skilled tacticians such as those organizations would never enter into battle with only three soldiers to perform a flanking ambush. No, there would doubtless be others waiting to intercept and cut off their escape. The pack would be trapped.

_'Nein! Stay where you are, Hans. That is a command!'_

The oppressive feeling of an order from the alpha weighed on his stomach like a heavy stone. His instincts told him to obey, but he _wanted _to be with his pack. A lone wolf was hardly a wolf at all. Rogues lacked the pack structure which defined his species, their culture and their very natures. It was not natural to be away or without ones pack.

"Just as I thought. You can speak to each other... with your minds? I can see it on your face. Something is wrong."

Hans turned to the soft-spoken draculina and stared at her, uncertain if she meant to mock or comfort him. It was difficult to read her emotions with those strange circlets of glass taking up her face. He could smell the fear in the sweat which now coated her pallid skin. He had never seen her on the battlefield before. No doubt this would be her first taste of true battle. Perhaps she would die tonight. He couldn't say that he would care very much. As long as his pack survived, the rest could go rot.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV**

"Well, well... what have we here? A lost little hund?"

That voice...

Hans knew that voice, the sickly sweet sound of it pulling him to something close to conciousness. His mind felt scattered and fuzzy, as if he couldn't quite grasp what was going on. It was a thick, hazy fog which kept him from remembering who the voice belonged too. But, he was certain he knew who it belonged too, that he hated them.

"Herr Major's favorite guard hund, dropped right into my front yard. Really, Captain, you made this so easy for me!"

It sounded delighted, as if his presence was the most exciting thing that had happened for the voice in a long time. Every part of his body felt as if it weighted too much and he couldn't muster enough strength to move them about. Underneath the haze was an increasing awareness of pain, but it didn't quite click in his mind that he hurt. He just knew he was in pain or that he should be?

"But, Herr Major isn't here to limit my questions and search for answers. And, I do _need_ you, Captain. Such a fine specimen of your species, it's no wonder you survived when others were slaughtered like sheep," Hans could feel cold hands running over his chest muscles and arms, "Yes, a near perfect werwolf. No doubt your bloodline is a highly pure one, like that old female you grieved for when we first met. It's too bad the bitch didn't breed, I could have made use of such offspring."

The hands left his skin and he heard the thumping of feet crossing the floor then returning, making his skin crawl as everything in his being screamed at him to run. Not many things inspired Hans to flee as opposed to strike out and take out his opponent before he himself was killed. But, this... this monster frightened him. The space about them stank of unnatural things. Chemicals and such the humans had created in order to fancy themselves gods.

"Tell me, Captain, if I break all your bones will you heal them back? If I tear out your organs will you grow new ones? So many questions! And finally, I can answer them all. But, not yet... I don't want to risk killing you yet. I have use for you first and I _must_ get what I _need_ before I can do what I _want_."

Hans forced his cracked lips apart and snarled at his captor, although the sound sounded far weaker than he had intended. Slowly he tried to force open his eyes, only to be met with darkness from some sort of obstruction. He was strapped down, restrained, and now he realized that his eyes were covered.

"Oh come now, Captain. Herr Major trained you better than that. Do you know what I did to the last dog which bit me?"

Hans could feel cold hands touching his bared skin yet again, probing and pressing. They would cross some still healing wound and he would wince, causing the voice to chuckle and press harder before moving on. Finally the hands reached his chest and pain erupted through his shoulders as he felt broken bones being pushed roughly about under the pressure of those cruel fingers.

"Broken collar bone... Seems my soldiers need to be brought under a more firm control. I don't like my specimens damaged. And without She you're the best specimen I have to work with at the moment. I'm sure you remember She? After all I showed her too you along with the Major. How long ago was that? Sixty years? Seventy? What is time to us anyway?"

Hans attempted to tune out the overly zealous voice of the Dokter as he continued to poke and prod about Hans' wounds, jarring broken bones and pinching severed muscles. Finally he could feel needles being stuck into his skin, removing various _samples_ as the Dokter called them. In the end it was mere bee stings on top of the slowly growing pain as the haze in his mind began to clear.

"I've always wondered what would happen if I used controlled doses of liquid silver to contain and control a werwolf, Captain. Shall we find out?"

Hans felt another needle suddenly dig deep into the open wound in his shoulder, then the searing pain as the liquid saturated the wound and was carried on into his blood stream. The effect was nearly instant as his muscles suddenly convulsed painfully, pulling his shattered bones in horrible jarring motions. He tasted blood as he bit his tongue when his jaw muscles spasmed, causing him to gasp for breath as he found it increasingly difficult to fill his lungs with precious air.

"Cisa! Put him with the other one. And make sure you keep the vampire in check."

Hans would have writhed about in pain and uncontrolled muscle contortion if he had not been restrained. The silver coursed through his veins like acid, mixing with the lingering silver fragments embedded in his wounded shoulder.

Vaguely he was aware of footsteps leaving and a door slamming shut, but his entire world was nothing but torment. Then a single, slender hand pressed into his hand and squeezed it's fingers closed. It had been so long since he had known this feeling, the knowledge that another mind was forcing it's way into his own. This was not the typical mental communication between wolfkin, but the essence of the force invading his usually guarded mind was unmistakable.

It overpowered him and flooded his senses, probing into areas in a way it should not have been capable of. The wolfkin were capable of communication, but Hans had never encountered a creature able to so fully invade his mind. Even the muscles he could no longer control became frozen at the silent command of the mental intruder.

_'You will never escape this place, wolfkin. Accept your grave.'_

* * *

**Germany 20th century**

Hans paced uneasily about the encampment, fully aware of the uneasy glances the soldiers were giving him. To them he was an unknown source of power on the battlefield and he had always known that they prefered it when his pack was not in their midst.

He kept his attention perfectly halved between his pack and the goings on of the camp. The soldiers were engaging in idle conversation, while their officers sat about in silence. Hans usually would have avoided the presence of these officers, but he knew that any news of Hellsing and Iscariot's movements would be brought to them long before he would hear of them.

The raven haired draculina with the glass device over her eyes had taken a seat near him and attempted to engage him in idle chatter. It seemed as if she was unaware that he never answered her endless prattling. The split of his attention span was tiring, but he was careful to keep both in mind.

_Then, finally, he felt the first sign of trouble. _

It was string of pain, acknowledged throughout the pack as if they had all been struck at once. The force of it caused him to flinch where he sat, drawing the attention of the other officers. Even Rip grew silent as she stared at him in concern. The entire camp grew blessedly silent as Hans drew all of his focus over several miles to attempt to contact Khali or Nakita, anyone to update him on the situation of the pack.

They were fighting and it was not going well.

Iscariot had flanked them, attempting to box them in. However, Hellsing had also entered the fray. The pack had been caught in a clash of titans so to speak. It had quickly become a free for all, with the pack at a disadvantage. Several had been wounded already and they were searching for an escape route.

_'Alpha?'_

No response came to ease his mind.

Hans stood and stared off into the distance for a moment, weighing weither or not he should break rank and disobey his Alpha's orders or not. Already he could feel bloodlust explode through his body, the need to put an end to the enemies of the wolfkin, of his pack. To protect the only family he had left... Yet he had been ordered to stay put. And to break rank and disobey was to openly challenge the Alpha, to disrupt the pack.

Then an overwhelming sense of alarm shot through the pack's mental link. Someone had fallen. The pack was losing the fight. Not only that, but they were scattered and disoriented. Which could only mean one thing.

Their central command had been cut off, Khali had fallen. Hans could feel the presence of the Alpha's mind fade, then it was gone as she died. The sense of loss was overpowering and he instantly jumped into action.

In a moment his body shattered and reformed itself into his true form and he hit the ground running. Everything was a blur as he charged through the forest, darting in and out of trees. The air was chilled and burned his lungs with the cold, but the moon was bright and lit his path. Some inner tug brought him closer and closer to what was left of his pack, the sense of loss sending him into a blood lust rage as he burst onto the battlefield.

The sounds of pained yelps and angry snarls filled the air, drowning out the sounds of the humans causing them. They were outnumbered and overpowered. He could feel the lack of control as the scattered pack tried to escape, only to be dragged back into battle or chased.

Hans tore into bodies surrounding him, not caring to identify or pay attention to them. He just wanted to kill them. He wanted to drive them away and save the few wolves left. There wasn't enough time for him to take a moment to count how many consciouses that were left. He was only aware that they were fading, growing weak. It was like watching the very start of the dawn. The stars slowly faded until only the moon dared to still shine, but even she would fade from sight in time.

Was this how they would all die?

Then he felt something give out in him as he suddenly pitched forward and fell to the ground. In a moment his enemies were on top of him, forcing him to writhe about kicking and biting anything that came within reach. As he threw the last of them off, he got his feet back under himself and attempted to stand. But, the bones in his foreleg suddenly bent where they shouldn't, causing his leg to twist into a painful V shape.

When had it been broken?

Everything felt slowed, as if time had eased to the pace of his hazy mind. His vision blurred and he could see black spots in his periphery, but he could sense that everything had slowed. To his left another great wolf battled against the overwhelming number of humans, then fell dead as a silver coated sword pierced his heart.

The explosive pain of his death sent even more fear and confusion through what little was left of their ranks within the pack. He could only feel two minds left. Only two? No... no, another one had faded. It was only him and one other...

_'Hans.'_

He felt as if time was standing completely still as he looked up, dumbly searching for the voice. It sounded familiar, but he wasn't sure whose it was. It resounded in his mind like an echo, only it was slowly growing stronger.

_'Hans.'_

He turned and felt his heart skip a beat as he gazed upon the silky white fur of his mother, her gentle face looking down at him from where she stood. Blinking, he continued to stare as he wondered if she had come to guide him into the Fade. Death wouldn't be such a terrible thing if she was here to guide him on.

_'No, mein hundchen. Not yet... '_

He felt as if his very blood froze as she sadly turned away from him and he felt himself being pulled back to reality. But, he desperately clung to that fading place, to death.

_'No, Mutter wait! Take me with you! Don't leave me, again! Mutti?!'_

She turned back to gaze at him again, her body slowly dissolving into the swirling mists surrounding them. He struggled against the invisible binds which kept him from chasing after her, from reaching out to her.

_'Please... please, come back... Come back, Mami...'_

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV**

Seras sat huddled in the corner of the room, watching the living skeleton in the opposite corner with wary eyes. What was this place? And who was that poor, wasted woman? It was obvious she had gone insane, she just muttered to herself and rocked in the corner. But, how could something so fragile looking be so strong?

Seras reached up and touched the dried blood on her cheeks. That woman had very sharp nails and strong fingers, even if it looked like she shouldn't be able to lift the weight of her own bones.

A shuffling above them sent the living skeleton scurrying out of sight into what looked like a hole she had dug into the floor. A shaft of light appeared for a moment from the ceiling, causing her to squint as a loud thud sounded and something was tossed from what appeared to be a hatch in the ceiling. With a thud and the sound of it locking again, she let her eyes settle on the heap on the floor.

"Hans!"

She rushed forward, reaching out to pull his back up into her lap. She listened, picking up a faint heartbeat and then a dull, strained breathing. He looked terrible... One of his arms was bent in an impossible angle and on the other side his body slumped limply. She gently pressed about, feeling the bones. To her horror nearly all of them gave at her pushing, then as she came to his shoulder she found that his collar-bone was jutting out from his skin. The jagged pieces of bone still having bits of meat attached.

"Hans..."

His eyes opened slightly, but didn't focus on her. Then suddenly she felt him go rigid in her arms as he sucked in a wheezing gasp of air and began to shake violently. She tried desperately to hold him still as she could hear his thrashing causing more of his bones to snap. Blood sputtered out of his mouth as he began to choke, leading her to turn him on to his side.

Agonizing moments went by until finally his body went limp again...

"What did they do to you, Hans?" Seras felt the tears falling from her eyes dripping down and falling from the tip of her nose and on to Hans' cheek.

* * *

**Germany 20th century**

Hans' eyes snapped open as he felt himself jerk back into wakefulness. The sounds and smells of battle were gone, replaced only with the dense scent of death. He slowly sat up, realizing that he had changed back into the human form he had grown used too. Looking around, his eyes fell on Nakita as she lay curled into a tight ball with her arms around her knees.

_'Nakita?'_

She flinched as he gently prodded against her conscious, which was closed off from him. That connection that was present as a pack, was severed. It had been a long time since they had to make such an effort to communicate. Slowly, she let down her guard and opened up to him again.

_'Gone..'_

He winced at the pain flowing freely from her, quickly absorbing the unspoken news. They were the only survivors. The last ones of the pack. She had dragged him away and managed to escape as Hellsing and Iscariot began to fight each other.

He watched in silence as her shoulders began to shake. He could hear her weeping, sobbing out her sorrows. Slowly, he hobbled toward her, careful of his broken arm. She turned over on to her back as he slid down next to her, pulling her tightly against him.

It was such a human thing to do. To embrace someone out of the want to console them. Wolves didn't console each other, they just wept aloud. But, he didn't want to be alone tonight. He needed to feel her, needed to feel someone else. That he wasn't alone.

_'Hans?'_

He stayed quiet as she slowly relaxed and leaned into his grip, letting her head fall back against his chest. It was raining outside, he could hear it. That would make it harder for anyone to track their location, but that was for the best for now.

His thoughts were pulled back to Nakita as she nipped under his chin, her hands snaking up and around his head and pulling him towards her. A small part of him knew what she wanted. Any other time he would have pushed her away, but not tonight...

Tonight they just needed to comfort.

**Finally, there is my update! More coming soon! Sorry for the wait ,,**


	17. Chapter 15

**Germany 20th Century**

**Hans POV:**

Hans watched lazily as Nakita lay on her side in wolf form for the first time in so long. It reminded him of the time they had spent together just the two of them. The empty feeling in his mind was just as vivid now as it was back then, knowing his pack was gone. This was the second time he had watched his pack slaughtered.

He stood slowly, his wolf form feeling strangely foreign to him. How long had he spent in the bipedal form among the Major and his army? All of them had been so caught up in their hatred and vengeful wishes that none of had kept track of time. What did time matter now?

_'Hans?'_

He froze and turned to look at Nakita as she yawned drowsily and turned towards him. Not paying her much attention, he continued walking out of the cave. Morning had not yet come, although the pale golden hue on the horizon warned of the coming sunrise. The sky was bathed in deep purple clouds and a dark blue sky, the moon barely shining her pale light through the clouds.

What was it that his mother asked him so long ago?

_'Why do the wolfkin sing to the moon?'_

He could feel Nakita's confusion at his question as he thought it, but he didn't want to take it back. After all these centuries the answer still hadn't come to him.

The soft rustle of fur made aware that Nakita had walked up behind him as she stood just outside the cave with him.

Nakita offered him no answers.

Looking up at the pale face of the moon mother, Hans felt that indescribable urge to call out to her. Throwing his snout back he let a long, low howl escape his lungs and slowly climbed up the musical scales in tone. Then another voice joined his, Nakita's soprano rising in sync with his own until they held the high note together in harmony like a duet.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Seras tried to hold Hans still as she desperately tried to keep him on his side, her fingers shoved down into his mouth to keep him from choking on his own bile as he convulsed violently. Whatever their captors had done to him, he was reacting to it horribly. Tears fell freely from her eyes as she heard another bone crack as his muscles literally broke his bones with their convulsions.

Then, finally, he was still.

Seras pulled her fingers from his mouth, listening quietly to make sure he was still breathing. It was faint and sounded as if he had fluid in his lungs despite her best efforts to keep him from choking.

Quietly, Seras leaned down and placed her forehead against his and let out a shuddering sob. What was she going to do? She couldn't leave Hans here alone, but she wasn't sure she could save him either. She wasn't even sure what they had done to him.

She leaned further down until her fangs grazed the soft skin on his neck, which felt feverish to the touch. The pulse there wasn't as strong as it should be and the scent of the blood starting to clot in his open wounds didn't smell as sweet as she remembered. Half in a daze, Seras sank her fangs into his neck and took a shallow draw from the vein. Something about the blood tasted strange and soured, turning her stomach the moment it hit her tongue. But, she forced herself to swallow until she felt Hans' presence as their heartbeat synchronized.

_'What are you doing?'_

His voice wasn't as strong and steady as she remembered it sounding in her head. Instead it was weak and very faint, like trying to hear a voice through a noisy storm.

"What did they do to you, Hans?"

_'Dummes kleines Mädchen, you'll be poisoned too.'_

"Poisoned?"

_'I told you... I told you that human was a monster. You wouldn't listen...'_

His voice wavered and she felt her heart constrict as the need to vomit hit her strongly. But, she forced it into the back of her mind, sipping more of the soured tasting blood to keep talking to him.

"Hans, I don't know what to do... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry..."

_'Sanft Mädchen... It's not your fault... He won't let me die yet, this is just the beginning...'_

Seras blinked as Hans weakly pushed against her, trying to get her teeth away from his neck. Blinking back tears, she let go of his neck and turned off to the side and allowed her stomach to rid itself of the poisoned blood. It burned like acid coming up.

* * *

**Germany 20th Century**

**Hans POV:**

The chorus of their song made his chest feel light as he lifted his voice up to the moon. It felt right, as if this was exactly how things should be. All their sorrows were being laid out before their goddess, their worries momentarily relieved.

Until a gunshot shattered the beautiful duet.

Hans felt the pain as the bullet ripped through his shoulder, tearing through his lung and out the other side of his chest. He hit the ground in what felt like slow motion, the left over feeling of silver burning through the hole in his body.

Nakita let out a horrified squeal as she ran to his side, but another shot rang out and he felt her weight collapse on top of him.

In a daze, he lolled his head around in an attempt to spot the sniper hidden somewhere in the trees. His vision blurred as he saw nothing but shrubs and trees, vaguely hearing the voices of English human soldiers as they approached before he finally passed out.

* * *

**Germany 20th Century**

**Hans POV:**

Hans felt himself wake slowly, as if from a deep sleep disturbed far too soon. He had had a strange dream, but he couldn't quite grasp what it had been about in his groggy state. His eyes were open, but all he saw was light and blurred, distorted shapes that moved about in jerky motions that he couldn't quite follow.

Instinctively, he reached out for his pack. But, there was nothing for him to grab a hold of. It was strange, feeling so utterly alone.

A sharp, stinging on the side of his face brought his mind a bit more out of the fog. Someone was slapping their palm on his cheeks, no doubt attempting to wake him up.

"Captain, wake up."

That voice, he recognized it from somewhere...

"He's in shock, Herr Major."

Major...

Was he back with the Major and his minions? How had he gotten here? He couldn't quite grasp the memories of what had happened before he woke up, as if the memories slipped his mind like a wet, wriggling fish each time he grasped for it.

"Well, alert me when he snaps out of it. I don't have time to waste."

"Ja, Sir."

Hans could hear the footsteps leaving the room and the sudden absence of voices. Then something damp and cold touches his face, wiping away the chilled sweat from his brow and cheeks. He moved to grab whatever it was, his hands not moving as they should. Still, he managed to jerk his around until his hand grasped something soft and cool to the touch, like silk.

"Shhh, don't go grabbing me now, Captain. I'm here to help."

The voice was feminine and sounded familiar, but he just couldn't quite place it. He knew that he should know exactly who it belonged too, but the answer alluded him.

"You remember me, don't you? I'm Rip, Rip Van Winkle. We're friends, ja?"

Rip... She was that overly friendly vampire who insisted on always talking to him and asking questions. Yes, he could picture her in his mind now. She had long ebony hair, snow-white skin, and a strange item made of glass and metal covering her eyes.

Her cool fingers ran through his hair comfortingly as she continued to talk to him softly. He wasn't sure what she was saying, but it made him feel oddly calm.

"Captain... You need to get a hold of yourself. We need you."

Hans blinked, only finding that his vision had cleared enough for him to make out her silhouette. What did they need him for? He could barely grasp who they were, much less why they cared so much for his well being. They weren't his pack.

That's right... His pack...

They were all gone.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

The trap door in the ceiling opened again with a load creak and a blinding ray of light. Seras felt her eyes burn with it as she looked up, prompting her to sheild her eyes.

"Cisa, control the subjects."

Seras dared to bring down her arm and gaze at the two figures climbing down the rope latter they had lowered from the hatch above. The first was the woman from before, who had somehow left her completely frozen and unable to move. The second, was a man she recognized all to well. The nazi scientist climbed down in his stark white lab coat and turned to gaze at her with a happy smirk upon his face.

"Well, well we meet again, Fraulein. Seras Victoria, correct? Don't answer, I don't care."

She felt the urge to attack well up inside her, but when she attempted to move her muscles again refused to answer her commands. The woman stood behind the doktor, her nazi uniform covered in a heavy leather apron.

"You have met my Cisa, ja? She's my pride und joy! It was not easy to keep her a secret all these years. I really didn't want to share her."

The Dokter caressed the young woman's cheek as he spoke, his voice almost sounding genuinely caring. But, there was an underlying bitterness to it that made Seras cringe.

"You look pale, draculina. Did you sample the hund's blood? No doubt it was not appetizing, after all werwolf blood und silver are a deadly mix. Luckily for you, vampires heal rather well, ja?"

The Dokter stalked towards her, stepping over Hans and reaching out a gloved hand to touch her cheek. He stank of blood and decay, turning her stomach worse than the tainted blood had hours before.

"You're a monster," Seras spat, her fangs extending as she could think of nothing more pleasing than to bite the vile man in front of her. Yet, nothing beyond opening her mouth dumbly seemed to work.

"Perhaps, but you have no power here, Fraulein. Cisa, you know what to do."

With those final words, the Dokter climbed back up the latter and disappeared from view. However, the woman named Cisa remained. Her face was stoic as she knelt down next to Hans and unrolled a leather satchel filled with various medical tools.

Lifting up his arm, she thumbed his vein until it was barely visible and pierced it with a needle. She used it to fill a small vial with his blood, then corked it closed.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

He felt the prick of the needle and the flow of blood leaving his body, but was unable to move about to stop it. Then that overwhelming feeling of someone taking over his mind returned. It felt like the pack connection, only stronger and far harsher. Even Snotra's mind link wasn't so vividly strong as this.

_'You won't beat me, dog. You're mine now.'_

The voice was feminine, but as forceful as a lightning strike and loud as the boom of thunder in his head. It instantly gave him a headache from it's unbridled force.

_'Master isn't here to pull the leash now, dog. I can do whatever I want.'_

The force of the other mind made it feel as if his chest had a heavy weight pressing down on it, making it hard to breath. It felt as if some strange force was holding him down by every inch of flesh in his muscles and organs. Finally, he managed to let a low growl escape his lungs.

_'Hmph, what good is a disobedient dog?'_

Then he felt a very physical hand grasp his throat violently and another grabbing his cheeks and forcing his jaw open. Then a vile tasting mush filled his mouth, causing him to choke and spit it out.

A heavy hand slapped across his face, sending his head sideways and rattling his brain.

_'Dummer Köter, I won't let you waste! Master says you must eat, by force if necessary.'_

Again the fingers pried open his jaws and something tasting of plastic was shoved into his mouth. Gagging horribly, he felt it being forced down him throat painfully. For a moment he couldn't breath as Cisa used the tube to funnel the vile mush directly into his stomach, then pulled it out from his throat as he retched.

_'Keep it down or I'll do it again.'_

He felt some of it come up his throat, but managed to swallow it back down by sheer willpower. As he slowly regained control of his gag reflex, he could hear something between a growl and snicker escape her lips.

* * *

**20th Century Germany**

**Hans POV:**

He wasn't sure how long Rip stayed there and watched over him, slowly pulling him from the foggy confusion of Shock and back into reality. But, it seemed as if she never left his side. It felt like days, although it very well could have only been mere minutes. He wasn't really sure.

Finally he opened his eyes and was able to see her with no blur in his perfect vision. His mind was clearer now and he could feel the strange emptiness where his pack should have been.

"Good, your eyes look clearer now," she said softly, her cool fingers caressing his face.

He watched her carefully, from where he lay on the cot in what appeared like a hospital room. He was sure it was one of the rooms used as a make shift medic center in the large estate the Major had taken over not long ago.

"Captain, I-," Rip's voice was interrupted as the Major and Dokter entered the small room.

"Captain! You're awake, how wonderful. I was getting worried for my favorite werwolf." The Major's voice was oddly gleeful, as if there was an underlying distress beneath his joy.

Hans slowly sat up, fighting off a wave of nausea as he did so. For a moment he simply held his head between his hands, attempting to stop the room from rocking like a dock on the water.

"Come now Captain, it's time for you to make yourself useful now. You're the last wolf I have left," the Major's voice sounded overly rehearsed as he said the words.

Hans felt his blood run cold as the words settled in. That was why he couldn't feel any of them. He remembered now. They were all dead...

He remembered now, Nakita had fallen on top of him after the second gunshot and her mind had died then too. The bullet had gone straight through her brain and out the other side of her skull.

He was all alone.

* * *

**There's this weeks updating. Should have another up by the weekend. :)**


	18. Chapter 16

**In this chapter I'll be introducing another OC, hope you enjoy the new addition :)**

**Present **

**Hans POV:**

Soft hands were cradling his head and untangling his matted hair. That smell, he knew it anywhere. A slight tainted scent of death and blood which could barely cover up the sweet smell that he had learned belonged only to Seras. He must have been cold, since her hands felt warm against his chilled skin.

Why didn't she leave? Vampires could easily phase through solid walls and he knew Seras was capable of such things. But, despite that easy escape route she stayed there running her fingers through his hair.

It felt as if there were a heavy weight against his chest, making take shallow gulps of air to make up for not being able to take a full lungful of air. With the cold came a blessed numbness to the pain he knew he should feel. It had an odd peace to it, being so numb. Seras felt warm despite vampires having characteristically cold skin. Normally she felt as if there might be chilled ice beneath her soft skin, but now she felt humanly warm.

Hans opened his eyes slowly, finding that one side of his face didn't quite work as it should. With only one eye working he could only see half of her face, but he wasn't sure he wanted to see more. Her lips were set in a firm line and quivered as if she were holding back her emotions and silent tears fell from her eyes to mix with the blood he now saw on himself.

With his still working arm, he reached up until his palm cupped her chin. For a moment she was still, then her glassy blue eyes stared down at him. He could see her lips moving, but he just wasn't able to make out what she was saying, as if she were far away or whispering far to softly.

He let his fingers brush her cheek gently as she covered his hand with her own and squeezed it tightly. Tired... He was so tired... When had he closed his eyes again?

_"Hans."_

It sounded as if many voices said his name all at once, coming from everywhere and nowhere. He couldn't feel Seras anymore, had he fallen back asleep?

_"It's over, child. You've earned your rest."_

He felt weightless, as if all the pain was just gone. Once more he slowly opened his eyes and was met with a bright world washed in pale light. The world around him shifted and moved as if liquid, yet remained solid as it sifted seamlessly from one ethereal scape to another.

_"Hans."_

He turned and found himself facing a beautiful pale wolf with flowing fur that shown as if stars were woven into the pure strands of hair. She was solid and yet not, appearing to float more than walk as she moved towards him. He took in a short gasp as something in his heart told him exactly who he was gazing upon. Bowing his head, he let his nose touch the swirling mists of the ground in reverence.

_'Moon Mother...'_

Her name resonated from within and felt as if it hung in the air as if tangible. Was he dead then? Was this death? He had been so close so many times, yet never once had he been to this place.

_"This is but the Fade, child. I have come to guide you through it, the last of my earth children."_

Her form became mist as she was suddenly next to him, now appearing as an old and ancient wolf. It was strange. He knew she was a spiritual being and yet everything felt so very solid and living.

_'I failed then... The Wolfkin will never be remembered.'_

_"Why do my children, sing to me?"_

Hans looked up at her, taken aback by her question. In life he had spent much time trying to answer such a question. Now with the goddess herself asking him in the Fade, he still had no answer. Crest fallen, he averted his eyes to swirling ground beneath his feet.

_'I don't know...'_

_"Why did you sing for me?"_

Looking back up at her, he felt his spirit quake slightly at the question. It was one he had never truly considered, not on such a personal level. Why did any creature worship their god? Before now, he had never had any such personal encounters with her. Just as any faithful follower of any diety could look upon a symbol of god, he had looked to the moon. He had sung, but now that he looked back he felt as if the songs had always been selfish. It was always to make himself feel better, rarely had he sung for her for no other reason than to please her.

_"So critical of yourself. So much faith in your species but none for yourself. I have watched over you since you born. I know your heart and I know your soul. So much pain and suffering. It hurt me to know the anger you harbored, the hatred..."_

_'I tried to avenge them for you..'_

Hans felt his heart shatter as he realized just how futile all his lifelong efforts had been. What had he accomplished in life? Nothing...

The Moon Mother leaned down and touched her warm nose to his forehead and Hans suddenly felt a great pull on his soul. He wasn't sure where it was pulling him, but it certainly felt far away.

_"Return then, child. An ancient beast of power has been sent to your aid, but when it will come I do not know for I am not its master. I will return your soul to your body, but survival will be up to you, Hans."_

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Seras opened her bloodshot eyes and an icy hand touched her cheek. How long had she held him there in her lap with no response? It felt as if it had been days, though she was certain it had been at least multiple hours since the Dokter and the woman named Cisa had left again. With them had also gone the invisible force which held her frozen as a living statue, letting her go to her tormented friends side.

Fresh tears flooded from her eyes as he finally showed signs of life with the movement of her hand and she clenched it within her own grasp. Hans was cold and she knew she would be unable to warm him. He had lost a great deal of blood, not having healed even slightly from any of his wounds. Instead he had suffered as a human would, unable to heal at the enhanced rate he should have. This was far worse than the times she had seen him wounded before.

"I should have never brought you here..."

His icy fingers trembled with the effort it took just to reach out and caress her cheek and she leaned down so he could reach her better. She looked at his face, seeing that one side was swollen so that one of his eyes could not open. If she had not seen him before, she would have never recognized him with his face so bruised and distorted. Had all that come from a single slap from Cisa when he spit out the food she had forced into his mouth?

His mouth was slightly opened and his breathing came in short, labored huffs as if he couldn't get a good breath. The one eye he could open was painfully unfocused and she held her breath as it rolled back and he passed out again. But, as his hand fell away from her face she could hear his breathing grow more irregular. Seras felt panic start to take over her as she heard it sound as if his lungs had filled with fluid, blood starting to seep out of his lips and down his chin with each breath he took.

"Hans?"

Suddenly there was silence and he grew still. Holding her own breath she leaned down so her ear was against his lips, finding no inhale or exhale of air. Then she desperately grabbed for his wrist, clinching the vein there as she searched for any sign of a pulse.

"Hans! Come back!" Seras screamed in horror as she realized she was losing him. Pressing her lips against his, she forced air from her own lungs into his and alternated with pumping his chest with her hands. She could feel the broken bones there shift and creak under her efforts, but she continued. If she could just bring him back...

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please, come back!" This was her fault. He warned her about the dokter, but she had insisted on coming here. And for what? Orders from her master's master? Hans had come here for her, on orders from a woman who had put him in chains and wanted to execute him.

* * *

**Present**

**Integra POV:**

Sir Integra stood in the great hall, looking around at the other men and women of power in England. They all appeared tired and there were several empty seats after the devastating attack on London. An uneasy feeling settled in her gut as she gazed about, knowing that the great power of the Hellsing forces had been all but exterminated.

"Sir Integra Windgates Hellsing, the Queen requests your presence."

Integra chewed on her lower lip as she stood, the eyes of all at the heavy antique table staring at her. She strode through the heavy french doors which separated the makeshift meeting room from that of the Queen's temporary quarters. The location they were currently in was undocumented and posed as the safest place for her majesty under the circumstances. However, her majesty was standing outside a garden door and not sitting within the room.

Integra moved through the open glass door and knelt on the grass of the lawn until the Queen placed a hand on her shoulder and bid her to rise.

"Sir. Hellsing, what is the news on your operative investigating the nazi sightings in Latvia?"

Integra took a deep breath and stilled herself, knowing the situation was all but good. She had not heard from Seras in nearly a week and no attempts at communication had worked. The soldiers she had sent in to investigate had also disappeared along with Seras. Her forces were growing thinner with each move she made.

"I'm afraid my operative and those sent to investigate after have all gone missing. I am sure it is because the nazi presence is very real and possibly greater in size and ability than first believed."

The queen turned and gazed out over the garden, her brows furrowed in thought.

"You have nearly exhausted your resources, Integra."

She bit her lip in response to the Queen's observation, her pride hurting at the statement. But, no matter how much she disliked it, the facts were all too evident.

"Nearly, ma'am."

"Then I have no other choice. I had hoped I would never need to summon him in my time upon the throne, for I have not laid my eyes upon him since I was a child. But, I fear it is time for such drastic measures."

"I'm sorry, I do not understand, your majesty," Integra muttered, confused by just who this 'He' was.

"The Yale has served the royal family since the 15th century, a very ancient and powerful being. But, still pure and innocent. I have dared not risk tainting him, but I have no choice now. I must summon the Yale."

Integra was about to reply when a loud, piercing cry echoed through the garden courtyard. It sounded much like that of an elk, but more mournful like the wailing of a violin. From the trees stepped a beast like nothing Integra had ever seen in her life and left her agape in amazement.

A pure white stag the size of a horse stepped forth, it's large cloven hooves sending small puffs of dust with each step. A leonine tail swished back and forth from behind him and his antlers were easily three feet in height. His head was shaped like an elk's, but was easily the size of a large horse and from his lower jaws emerged two massive tusks which curled into points like that of a boar.

He strode towards them, a regal beast which Integra was sure weighed far more than one thousand pounds. Finally he stood before the Queen and bent one knee, lowering his great head and massive antlers down in a bow. Integra watched in silence as her majesty reached out and lifted the Yale's head, gently caressing it as it towered above her now that it once again stood straight.

"My dear friend, you have served my family for generations. But, I must plead for your help today."

The Yale exhaled a puff of steam in the cool air, watching the Queen expectantly. Despite his appearance as that of a herbivore, Integra was certain he was a creature of fearsome ability. Each tip of his antlers were tapered into a jagged edge as if sharpened from centuries of hard battle and the tusks jutting out from his lower jaw could easily pierce and crush any earthly beast.

"The servants of the Church and of my crown have been taken captive, we do not have the resources to rescue them ourselves. But, they must be rescued. Their captors are the very same who have defiled my great city and butchered my people. I ask you for your aid, my most loyal protector."

"So be it," the Yale's voice was nearly deafening, deep and powerful like thunder. It turned and leapt forward, it's hooves pounding the earth as it charged forward to do it's mistress' bidding as the Queen turned to face Integra.

"Integra, you must never mention the existence of the Yale. He is one of the most sacred secrets of the Royal family."

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

She continued to pump Hans' chest and breathe air into his lungs, praying silently that he would wake up again. Suddenly, she felt him spasm beneath her and a loud gasp as he came back to her. Seras cried out with joy and held his head in her arms, crying tears of happiness.

Once again she slipped her mouth down to his neck, needing desperately to feel his presence and hear his voice within her head. Her fangs pierced the vein and she let a few drips of blood lay on her tongue, still tasting of poison.

"Hans?"

_'Seras...'_

"You scared me, you stopped breathing and I lost your pulse," she sniffled and nearly cried as she savored the feeling of him in her mind.

_'I know... I'm sorry I scared you. It'll be alright. I won't fade again.'_

Seras ran her fingers through his hair, letting more drops of blood flow down her throat. She wasn't ready to let go again, she felt so alone without his mind there.

"What are we going to do Hans? That dokter is going to torture us to death if we don't escape."

_'I'm sorry, sanft madchen. I'm broken, I don't think I could walk much less escape this place. He will keep the silver in me in doses so that I don't heal.'_

Seras could feel the overwhelming pain his spirit was going through, despite the distinct knowledge that he was blocking much of his feelings from her. It felt as if she was speaking to him through a curtain, everything muffled through fabric.

"I'm not going to leave you here, Hans. I'll find a way to save us, I promise."

* * *

**Well there's the newest chapter. What do you guys think of the Yale? A Yale(for those who haven't heard of it before) is the size of a horse with the body of a stag, antelope, or goat and the tusks of a boar. It had independantly swiveling horns which it would use in battle. It's actually one of the heraldic Queen's Beasts. I modeled the Yale after the Yale of Beaufort which eventually made it's way into the royal family in the 1400's. This will just be a short cameo for the Yale, who I am planning to feature in my next Hellsing Fanfic which I will start after the end of this one. That story will be the Yale's POV from how the Queen and Alucard first met.**


	19. Chapter 17

**20th Century Germany**

**Hans POV**

Hans sat quietly in the mess hall of the estate, watching as the various humans and vampiric creatures mingled together and ate their rations. His own plate was filled with uncooked rib meat still on the bone as he absentmindedly gnawed on one he had already stripped of meat. No matter how long he spent alone without any other wolves around, he never got used to being alone. It was unnatural for his kind and he had never spent much time alone at all in his long life.

He missed them.

A painful mixture of rage and sorrow was building up in his gut, consuming his thoughts. If he really was the last one of his kind, then what purpose did he really serve? Before it had been revenge alongside his remaining pack members, now it was still revenge... Only now he had no reason to stay with the Major other than convenience. His loyalties had always been with his pack, never these human monsters that constantly killed and tormented their own kind as well as other creatures of the earth.

He wasn't even sure what their reason for constantly charging into battle was, only that it was convenient to his own. What did he care anymore about who or what was slaughtered along the way? Everything he had cared for was gone. His only purpose now was vengeance within this war.

"Captain!"

Turning around Hans found himself facing the Major, the little man smiling as always. He always smelled of champagne and blood, such an odd mixture that it was truly unique. Biting down on the bone in his mouth, Hans felt it give in to his teeth at it snapped with a loud and satisfying crunch. As the Major clasped his hands together and continued to study him for a moment, Hans contentedly sucked on the marrow from the snapped bones.

"Enjoying yourself, ja? Well, mein friend, I need to make a little trip und I would like for you to come with me. I think you will appreciate the work being done at the location we are heading."

Hans simply spit the bones from his mouth and stood, towering above the Major. He trailed along behind the stumpy little man like a dog with his master, uncertain about where exactly they were going.

"You must be very angry with Hellsing und Iscariot for murdering your friends, no?"

The question caught Hans off guard, causing him to let out a low and menacing growl in answer. Of course he was angry, outraged even. The Major reached out and patted his arm, as if in a show of comfort.

"Well, if you continue to serve me well, Captain, I assure you that I will give you the chance to avenge your friends. Und it will be in a far more advantageous situation, ja. But, you know, if I die then it will all be over. That is why I asked you to come with me, Captain. I think of you as our trump card, the strongest of my soldiers. You are a good soldier, Captain. Continue as you are and I will deliver your enemies to you when I can."

As the Major finished speaking he opened the front door of the estate and Hans could see a car parked in the front yard. Humans always had loved their machines, but Hans had typically stayed away from them while he could. The Major took his seat in the passenger side and motioned for Hans to take the driving position, "Shall we get going, mein friend?"

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Hans seemed fairly stable now, his breathing sounded painful, but his heart was still going. His face stayed in a permanent frown, eyes closed although she knew he was awake. She reached down and brushed some dried blood from his silver hair.

The screech of rusty hinges made her jump as a burst of light flooded her vision. For a moment, she stayed protectively with Hans' in her arms, but then that forceful presence in her head knocked flat onto her back and held her there.

Cisa stood over Seras after a moment, her eyes staring down at the vampire. Then her attention turned back to Hans and she knelt next to him, reaching out a hand to touch his hair. Seras felt as she would vomit watching this... whatever this was supposed to be... It wasn't affection, no one could treat someone with affection after the torture Cisa had put Hans through. Yet, the aggression from the days before was not present either.

"You question me, Seras Victoria?" Cisa's harsh voice chilled Seras to the bone.

"He deserves this, vampire... You don't know him or what he has done."

Seras wanted to scream, but she wasn't able to unclench her jaw. What was Cisa talking about? Or was this a mind game?

"I hate you..."

The words were barely spoken above a whisper and Seras nearly thought she heard genuine sorrow and rage mixed together, but the sound of Hans crying out in pain put her thoughts to rest. She couldn't turn her head to see what was being done, but she could hear Hans was in pain. He began to cough, sounding as if he might choke.

Then it was quiet again, she could barely see from where she lay frozen as Cisa moved to the other side of the room. Seras held her breath as she remembered the third person in the cellar with them. She had been so wrapped up with Hans and the gaunt woman had been so silent and still...

Cisa jerked the woman into a standing position then threw a black sack over her head, picking her up like a sack of sugar. Seras felt her control come back into her body as she saw Cisa throw the woman over her shoulder and climb back out of the cellar, slamming the hatch shut behind her.

* * *

**1944**

**Warsaw, Poland**

Hans pulled the vehicle to a stop in front of a mansion which he assumed was being used by the military. He could already smell a pungent amount of decay and chemicals in the air, it nearly turned his stomach sour. The Doktor was standing on the stoop as he came to a halt. The tall human stank of sweat, nervous no doubt over the Major's surprise visit.

The Major and Doktor spoke to each other as Hans tuned them out, standing next to the car as the Major strode out of it. The moon was out tonight, but he felt no urge to sing. Only emptiness and hate were left. Hans was brought back to reality as the Major shoved his hat into Hans' hands without warning and continued to speak to the Doktor.

Hans followed behind them silently, not caring to hear what either said. The smells were even more overwhelming when the entered the building. So many odors lingered together as they assaulted his nose that he instantly felt a headache start to build between his eyes. It stank of chemicals, blood, decay, and even pure rot. There had to bodies here. Bodies in all states of decomposition if he judged by the scents.

This must be the facility in which the false vampires were being made and improved upon. In the brief moments between the Major and Doktor's conversation when neither spoke, he could just barely hear what sounded like muffled screams. It must be in the lower levels, since it sounded as if it were beneath his feet. It put him very much on edge.

It wasn't long before the Major expected to fed and the Doktor obliged with a feast. Hans simply shook his head when meat was offered him, the stench of the house stealing his appetite. The two humans spoke of food as Hans stood at attention, eyes staring at a bust in the far corner of the room.

That deep, bleeding wound was still festering from losing his pack. And the image of Nakita having a bullet explode through her head seemed ever present when he closed his eyes. The last moments he spent with her had been like before the war. Just the two of them singing together to the moonmother. Was that so terrible? That was all the wolfkin had ever done. Worship their goddess and survive, never killing more than needed nor wasting what they killed. They had fought among themselves sometimes, but could humans say otherwise? They had hunted the entire species to extinction, but why?

A sound pricked his ear and he looked up at the window.

Not a moment later the glass shattered and strange metallic sounds filled his ears, the dust settling to reveal a boy and a black coffin. Hans fought back a growl, instead gritting his teeth and glaring. Now that he was alone, it was always best to keep what he was hidden...

"What are you lot doing lying doggo at this ungodly hour, having soggy biscuit soiree? Bloody bunch of pansy huns," the boy straightened his posture and looked at them with a haughty expression, his black hair falling slightly in his eyes.

Hans bent his knees just slightly, ready for whatever might come. He could smell metal in the air, barely hear the sound of it moving about unscene. What was causing that sound? He had never seen it before, but he had heard of someone like this. Someone using metal wires as weapons, wires so thin they were invisible to most. He wanted to curse the Doktor when the man began to screech in protest, making it impossible for Hans to hear the wires anymore.

"I'm Hellsing's Butler," Hans tuned out the other words that followed, it was all he needed to know or listen too. The boy pompously bantered back and forth with the Major, but Hans was busy waiting for an excuse to rip this human's heart out. He was in the Hellsing organization, that was all Hans needed to know. This was the first Hellsing operative he had crossed since the bastards had slaughtered his pack and then shot Nakita and he wanted blood. His teeth ground slightly as his grit them tightly, controlling himself in order to not let out the snarl which was building in his throat.

Then it came, the moment he needed. The boy kicked up a knife and sent it flying expertly for the Major. Hans reached out and caught it inches from the pudgey man's face, his eyes glaring at the boy. Even for a human, the boy was scrawny. But, Hans had learned long ago that looks were deceiving. He was ready to explode with rage, his fist gripping the knife until it finally gave and shattered in his hand.

The doors behind them burst open, the soldiers finally responding to the racket as the Major and Doktor continued to chat casually about the food. Hans sniffed the air, picking up even more decay. Were these soldiers false vampires as well? They were different than the ones he was used too, perhaps newer versions or just something completely different.

The men opened fire and Hans' ears began to ring with the sound of it inside such a small, enclosed area. Gunpowder overpowered the smell of death in the dining room, but Hans knew these men were dead before they had even realized their mistake. It felt as if time slowed as he took a deep breath and focused his eyes on his target, catching the very slight movements of the boys fingers. The wires attached to them glinted ever so slightly in the moonlight and Hans reach out his hands caught the spiderweb of metal as it came towards him. As the soldiers surrounding him were suddenly tore into pieces by the thin wire, he felt it tighten around his fingers until blood poured from his palms. But, he had made sure to intercept any wires threatening the Major and Doktor, succeeding where the others had failed. A sea of gore surrounded his feet and blood flowed from his palms as he held the taut wires, taking far too much pleasure from the expression of dumb surprise on the face of the Hellsing's butler as the Major clapped his hands.

"Splendid skill, you're quite the angry boy, you are," The Major spoke as he continued to clap. By the sound of his voice, he could tell the pudgy man was serious.

"You're taunting me now, even when..." The boy caused the wires to slice further into Hans' palms and blood dripped from where the wires had cut clean to his bones. It didn't matter, it wasn't silver and would heal the moment he let go. The pain was worth a chance to kill this little whelp, just a small taste of revenge.

The Major extended an invitation to join them, surprising Hans a bit. Even if the boy agreed, Hans had every intention of killing slowly and painfully. It wouldn't matter if it were now or in a barracks later, he would butcher this little shit the moment he had the chance.

"Captain," The Major stood and turned his back heading towards the door, "If you kill him, cut off his head and toss it in the fire."

With a final 'Seig Heil', Hans found himself alone with his prey. Without the Major and Doktor to babysit, he was free to kill the runt human before him. Hans released the wires, his hands healing rapidly as he and the boy stared each other down. Pure rage and hate boiled up inside Hans, but the centuries of learning that the patient hunter gets the kill kept him controlled. There was a reason he had survived when the others had not and all he lived for now was to slaughter Hellsing and Iscariot exactly as they had the Wolfkin.

"You bastard... You're tough," The boy muttered as Hans glared directly into his eyes, then he saw the boys eyes flicker. In an instant he could see the wires ripple again as they aimed exactly where Walter had looked when he broke their gaze. Just before they ripped above him, Hans dove downward and slid across the blood slicked floor toward the boy. He got his feet back under him and came back up once he was safely beyond the wires, connecting his fist in a punishing punch to the boy's cheek. It sent Walter backwards, one of his wires cutting Hans on the cheek. The blood flowing from the long cut only enraged him further and he brought his fist into the boy's gut, doubling him over then driving his elbow straight into Walter's spine.

Hans lifted his fist again, but before it connected with the boy's face, but instead Walter bucked his head forward and crashed into Hans' nose. The bones and cartilege gave and cracked beneath the blow, sending him stepping backwards. The little wretch was stronger than his puny muscles suggested.

Wires sounded in his ears and Hans' eyes shot open as the cold metal wrapped around his throat. Walter tugged on the wires and they constructed, but Hans reached out a long arm and clutched the boy's throat in a vice grip. Hans struggled for air, attempting to crush Walter's throat before he could suffocate himself. Quickly, he flipped Walter so that he was on top, now squeezing his throat with both hands. The wires barely loosened as Walter fought for breath, a sight Hans couldn't deny enjoying. But, this was nothing compared to what Hellsing had done to him... to his kind. They deserved so much worse...

Then a shot rang out and Hans felt his hand explode as a bullet ripped his hand apart, causing him to lose his hold on the boy. A hail of bullets followed, forcing him to jump back and out of the way. His hand was already beginning to heal as well as his nose.

Hans turned his attention to the coffin which he had nearly forgotten about, a very young looking vampire stepped out. It was different from any of the vampires employed by the major, even the true vampires he had recruited. No, this was an ancient vampire of pure creation. He even smell the pure energy radiating from it, like electricity.

"Don't get too cocky, little angel. He's not a vampire... but, he's not a human either," The vampire spoke, a sly smile across his face.

Why such a powerful and old being would take such an immature form was beyond Hans, but he cared very little. He didn't care for vampires, but he had never heard of them being used by Hellsing. It defied what little he knew of the organization and yet mattered even less.

"Well that's just great, I had a feeling something like this would happen!" Walter groaned as Hans' hand returned to its normal state.

"Crosses would mean nothing to his kind. Ceremonial items, crosses, holy water... all ineffective! I thought they had all been defeated, but they exist, like I do now."

Hans glared at the vampire, wondering if it knew anything about the slaughter of his species. Yet, the cold almost flamboyant sound of its voice irritated him. It sounded bored, as if it were looking for entertainment in all of this. Such an arrogant parasite...

His anger was boiling over, threatening to make him lose control. His body was already morphing into his real form, but he forced it halt the process at the half way point. His true wolf form would never fit in this tiny room, it would make him an easy target even if he was better at combat while in it. He leaped for the vampire, wanting to sink his fangs deep into its dead flesh. Such a turn coat... a Vampire serving vampire hunters, it was sickening.

But, the sound of wires alerted him to danger and he struck a foot down and propelled himself up toward the ceiling just in time to evade being severed. He came back to the floor and found himself dodging more bullets from the vampire's gun. When it finally stopped, he realized the two Hellsing operatives were talking casually to each other... It really pissed him off.

"It doesn't matter, it's just a shitty, conceited little brat. This brat will go down easy I think," the vampire waved him off pompously, igniting Hans' anger to new levels.

"Unless I use some type of dog language, talking is useless, huh? Woof, woof, Woooof!"

Hans bared his teeth. This little shit was mocking him? They had hunted down his entire species to extinction, slaughtered the only family he had left right before his eyes, and now they had the gall to mock him? It was too much, even he didn't have the sort of controll needed to withstand that taunt. Before he realized what he was doing, he was across the room and slammed his knee into the vampire's middle.

The wretched creature simply materialized atop it's coffin and fled for retreat like a coward, leaving behind its comrade. Hans was beyond angry now, returning his attention to the young hellsing butler left. He could smell the blood of his prey still lingering fresh among the gore of German soldiers on the carpet. Once he killed this little shit, he was going to devour his heart while it was still beating!

* * *

**So sorry for the wait, guys. I'm in the middle of moving so it might be a couple of weeks again before the next update. But, it should get back to normal by mid May at the latest. ^^**

**Reviews are always loved!3**


	20. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Warsaw, Poland**

**1944**

Hans snarled as he dodged yet another onslaught of wires, smashing what little was left of the dining table in the room. The Hellsing whelp was weak, but a quick learner. If Hans couldn't get close, then he felt safe. The guns were still on his hip, but he hated using them. Why use an unnatural weapon when he had built-in claws, teeth, and strength? They were a last resort or for a swift death to an undeserving opponent.

He didn't want to just put a bullet in this runt's head, he wanted wallow on the damn corpse and feast on his heart. Hellsing and their puppets didn't deserve any honor or burials, not even a final prayer to their vengeful god. No, they deserved to be devoured, dishonored, and to have what was left rot.

Charging towards the boy, Hans willed his body into mist and wound himself through and around the wires, materializing directly in front of his opponent. The surprise in the runt's eyes was worth the hassle of mindlessly dodging each attack and wearing him down. In the moment before Walter could react, Hans leaned forward and embedded his fangs deep into the boy's shoulder.

The blood of his enemy tasted bitter, but the cries of pain sounded oh so sweet. With a loud snarl he slung his enemy from his jaws and into the glass window. The last standing window pane cracked and shattered as the boy fell into the courtyard below. Hans followed immediately, shifting into his full wolf form as he hit the ground outside.

Walter slowly staggered back onto his feet, eyes bright with contempt. They were barely a flicker in comparison to the burning in Hans' own hate filled eyes. The clouds in the sky swept over the moon, hiding her from view. It didn't matter. This was no longer a matter of religion or duty to the pack, only revenge.

He curled his lips and growled low and menacing, the blood dripping from his pearly teeth. The open battlefield was his ideal grounds for such an open confrontation. The forest was perfect for hunting, but this was no hunt. It was a drawn out execution meant to be savored to the last millisecond.

"You're bloody tough... A lone werewolf, huh?" Walter smeared the blood on his cheek with his sleeve, smirking at Hans from where he now stood.

The sound of wires was still present along with their metallic scent. Hans stood ready, waiting for his opponent to attack again. This battle was already won, his mist transformation rendered the wire weapons void as long as he paid attention to them. He was merely toying with the boy now.

The metallic sounds snapped and moved, alerting him to impending attack. With another vengeful snarl he leaped forward, becoming mist yet again as the wires rained down around him. This time he materialized behind Walter and sunk his teeth into the boy's thigh, dragging him down before darting away. It was all a game.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV**

Seras sat bolt upright at a loud sound from above. For a moment she looked around disoriented, then remembered where she was once her eyes settled on Hans. He still hadn't healed at all, not even slightly. Another crashing sound startled her and she strained her ears to hear what was happening.

Muffled shouts and feet pounding on the floor above told her something was going on. Had Hellsing come to save her? A small ray of hope filled her heart and she scrambled over to where Hans lay on his back. Gently, she stroked his forehead until his eyes barely opened then rolled back and closed again. She sighed and stood, letting him sleep.

The noise above grew suddenly still and quiet, as if no one stood above them anymore. Slumping her shoulders, Seras sunk back down next to Hans. Whatever had been going on must not have been any sort of rescue attempt. Probably some wretched experiment causing momentary chaos before being put down.

Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her of how long it had been since she had eaten. It made her feel weak as she pressed her hand against her stomach in an attempt to appease the hunger pains. If she didn't eat soon she wouldn't have any strength left at all. Not that it really mattered, Cisa was capable of turning her into a prisoner within her own body at will. There was no fighting back here.

Hans stirred next to her, drawing her attention. His eyes opened again, searching about unfocused. He spasmed and began to cough violently, blood misting out of his mouth. It eased into a labored wheeze as she gently wiped the blood from his lips. She knew he couldn't last much longer. He had already come back to her once, she doubted she would be able to revive him again. He had been living off willpower for what felt like days to her.

She started as the hatch door in the ceiling was thrown open, light pouring into the dark cellar. Moments passed as she held her breath, but no one descended down into the darkness. A high-pitched, eerie sound which reminded her of a violin hit her ears. It sent chills down her spine, but no other sounds accompanied it.

With a deep breath, she stood and cautiously inched toward the shaft of light. Was this a cruel taunt or freedom? The sound hit her ears again, sounding less like the wail of a violin and more like the call of a beast of some sort. Seras swallowed her reservations and stepped forward until she was standing directly beneath the open hatch. Above was a ceiling in what appeared to be a house. With another deep breath she jumped upwards, landing on the floor above.

* * *

**Warsaw Poland, **

**1944**

Hans circled the spot where Walter lay bleeding and defeated. It had been a slow and cruel game, but the end was near. The boy had lost blood, but Hans had been careful to only inflict superficial wounds. Nothing he had bitten was near any organs or main arteries, the only way the runt would die now would be long hours of bleeding out slowly.

Hans growled and tightened the circle, paws stepping over the small body beneath them. It was time now for the kill. His jaws hovered above the back of Walter's neck, opening wide with a final growl of rage. It was time to snap the Hellsing runt's neck and bask in victorious vengeance!

Lurching forward, Hans snapped his jaws down to crush his prey's throat. It felt as if time had slowed. All the needless death and sorrow caused by Hellsing and Iscariot... The injustice and hatred fueled his muscles, all else ceasing to exist. This was the moment, the first taste of revenge.

Then a gunshot rang out in the silent night, shattering his moment of sweet justice. The piercing sound was followed by the familiar pain of a bullet ripping into his flesh, but it was accompanied by something else as well. It felt as if acid had been poured into the wound after the bullet, sending him to the ground in a heap of confusion.

"Oh my, Walter you have gotten yourself into quite a fix, eh?" the voice of the vampire from before brought Hans back into reality.

He pushed through the pain and staggered back onto his feet, ears flattened and teeth showing defensively. What had that human leech shot him with? No gun before had ever caused this sort of pain for him and his wound wasn't healing. A sickly smell filled the air, the scent of poison.

"Don't look so confused, little dog. Did you really think that these people were on your side? Where do you think I got this handy gun with its silver bullets?"

Silver... He remembered now, that was something he had been warned about in the past. It mixed with the blood of his kind and turned into a toxin that could cause a wide range of symptoms. Everyone had told him different effects ranging from loss of muscle control to simply not healing at the normal rate.

"You're Nazi friends have all sorts of toys handy if you ever turn against them from the looks of it. How pathetic you are... Like a whipped dog still crawling back to lick the same hand that beat it."

Hans grit his teeth and snarled angrily. Why should he believe such scum as this? And what did it matter to him whose side the Major was on? As long as he was able to butcher Hellsing and Iscariot soldiers he was more than willing to play along with the game.

"It would really be a shame to put you down. I bet you're the last of your kind. You know, experts say lone wolves die quickly in the wild. Everything about a wolf is programmed to work in a pack environment. Unless these Nazi shits start barking then you're shit out of luck!"

The vampire cackled as it burst into laughter, grinning at Hans with it's two elongated canines. Hans backstepped slightly, knowing he was outmatched. This vampire, as much as he hated it's every fiber, was old and powerful. It was time to retreat and live to fight another day. With a final enraged howl, Hans took off like a flash of white. No shots or other attempts at taking him down followed as he ran, cursing the existence of the vampire and his own incompetence. He should have just made the kill and moved on, but he had played a game instead.

As he reached a safe distance, he slowed his pace to a trot. The poisoned wound was bleeding badly, but he was too angry to pay attention to the pain. He put his nose to the ground and followed the trail back the way he and the Major had come. If anyone had survived then they would return to the base, including the Major.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV**

Seras walked carefully through the barren room. A table stood empty to the side with overturned chairs and a shattered plate on the floor nearby. Had the Doktor and his minions left? And if they had, then what had sent them scurrying in such a hurry? She walked into an adjoining room and found another shaft of light coming from an open door, fresh air blew in.

The scent of blood was suddenly very thick, making her mouth water and her stomach ache for food. Nearly in a blood lust daze, she walked through the door and out into the fresh air.

The sight outside jolted her back into reality.

The snow was stained red with blood and littered with gore and severed limbs. Most of it appeared to be from ghouls, but there was human blood in the air too. The smell was overpowering.

An ear shattering wail broke the silence, drawing her attention to the side. Her eyes widened as a massive creature stepped forward. At first she thought it was an elk of some sort, possibly a large moose based on the size. But, the more she studied it, the less it looked like anything she had ever seen before.

It had shaggy white fur and a powerful neck connected to a large head upon which two massive sets of antlers perched. The points of its rack were all tapered into deadly points and shreds of skin and cloth were still impaled upon them. It's mouth had two large tusks curling up from the lower jaw from which blood dripped.

"Seras Victoria of Hellsing," the voice rumbled from the beast's throat like thunder over the mountains, deep and ancient.

"Yes?"

"My Mistress, Queen Elizabeth of England, has sent me to find you."

"The Queen? What? How... what are you?" She asked, stepping backwards in bewilderment. The large creature towered above her covered in the gore of ghoulish soldiers. Its eyes were dark and deep, filled with a commanding essence within them.

"I am the Queen's Beast, the Yale."

It offered no other explanation, turning its antler adorned head and peering off into the distance. It looked back at her expectantly, then began to move forward.

"Wait! I can't leave Hans!"

"Her Majesty only asked of me to retrieve one person. I have no obligations otherwise."

"I'm not going without Hans."

"So be it, Fledgling of the No-Life King."

Seras turned back into the house, hurrying back to Hans with renewed vigor. She wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but whatever this Yale creature was it was a welcome salvation. She dropped back into the cellar, finding Hans exactly as she had left him.

"Hans, we're getting out of here. It's going to be ok, I promise." She whispered into his ear, easing her hands beneath his broken body and heaving him up into her arms.

She cringed as she heard him gasp out in pain at the unexpected movement, but he grit his teeth and kept still for her as she jumped back out of the opening. He was a great deal heavier than she had expected, but they were so close to the end. This hell was almost over. Maybe now the silver would get out of his system and he would be able to heal?

She carried him back outside, finding the Yale staring at her from a few feet away. Steam billowed from its nostrils with each breath and it shook its head sending bits of flesh flying from its antlers. With a small bound it was next to her, sniffing Hans calmly.

"A wolfkin? It has been many ages since I last met with a child of the Moon. He is poisoned with silver no doubt and death is knocking upon the door..."

"I can't let him die... He was trying to keep me safe." Seras whispered, feeling fresh tears overflow from her eyes.

"What can be put in can also be drawn out, fledgling."

The Yale reached forward and touched its velvet nose against Hans' forehead sniffing him from the head down until it came across the nasty wound at his chest. With another hot breath of steam in the chilled air, the Yale lowered its head until the tip of its antlers pressed against the raw flesh of the deep wound.

Seras sucked in her breath as the horns appeared to glow as if made up of stars. The sudden burst of raw power made her skin tingle, but it felt warm and soothing. Moments passed and the light faded until the antlers were against the color of weathered bone. The wounds were still visible on Hans, but the Yale leaned down and opened its mouth. A large amount of silver liquid poured from its jaws and onto the ground beneath, as if the Yale had sucked the silver out of Hans altogether.

"Now come, the wolfkin will heal in time."

* * *

**Well I ended up finishing packing early so I had time to sit down and write for you guys! I move on Friday so I don't know what my internet access will look like over the next week since my move in date keeps getting pushed back(silly me took the builder's word for it and turned in my move out date to the apartments so now I'm bumming a room off a friend for a week -_-)**

**Anyways, let me know what you guys think! **


	21. Sorry for the wait, new chapter coming

Sorry for the long wait again guys, moving has been a bit of a nightmare. I finally got internet up and running, so I will be posting the next chapter soon(hopefully this weekend at the very latest) as I already have more than half of it written.

In the mean time, I would like to go ahead and state that I am in desperate need of a **beta reader**. After reading through the older chapters, I see how horrible my grammar can get when I start to brain storm and type 90 miles an hour. So if any of you would be interested in beta reading, please send me a quick PM. Keep in mind that I would prefer someone who could finish the beta reading within one week so that I can get back on and stay on my once a week chapter schedule. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea for a beta reader to be willing to kick my butt in gear sometimes when I fall behind xD

Also, a small heads up. I am changing my Pen Name on the site so that it matches my FictionPress one. Sweetpea1991 was just a quick one to put down until I figured out something better. So don't be alarmed about the change, it's still me just a different pen name. I don't have anything published on Fictionpress yet, but I will eventually. First I'm going to focus on Howl, since it is only about half way finished.(oh yes I plan for this to be a nice and long fanfic :3 )

Anyways, look for a new chapter this week and again, anyone interested in sifting through my dyslexic grammar mistakes just pm me and we'll talk about beta reading!


	22. Chapter 19

**Present**  
**Seras POV:**  
Seras felt as if she were in a strange dream as she ran through snowy forests next to the Yale which carried Hans upon it's back. The creature was larger than most horses, but clearly not a moose. Not that she had ever met a moose which could talk, or any sort of moose for that matter. She was tired and hungry, but pushed her weary legs to just keep on running step after step.  
The Yale took graceful leaps and bounds, obviously going slower than it needed so Seras could keep up. Great puffs of steam came out with each breath it exhaled and its eyes were deep and old in appearance. As they continued to run, she saw the beast snort deeply and toss its head as it suddenly increased in speed. Turning to look over her shoulder, Seras saw several ghouls dashing after them through the snow.  
With an exhausted heave, she forced herself into full speed ahead attempting to follow the Yale without losing distance from it. They continued for awhile, but she was slowly losing him as her muscles felt as if they would tear apart from her bones with just one more step.  
A flash of bronze and white caught her attention, but not quickly enough for her to dodge the massive wolf which charged her from its hiding spot in the underbrush. She blinked and found herself pinned beneath the monster, reflexively grabbing its neck to keep it from snapping at her throat. Those teeth were as long as her fingers, but she forced the wolf back from biting her.  
Then the familiar weight of another mind hit her like a freight train, forcing her into paralysis. She knew then, who the wolf was. Cisa stepped off of her with a deep exhale of warm steam, circling the spot where Seras lay.  
In her wolf form, Cisa was larger than Hans. Her fur was long and bronze, with soft patches of creamy white on her feet, ears, tail, and belly. Her eyes were amber in the failing light, but her teeth shown as if they had their own light source. Seras could feel that familiar and dreadful pressure as her body was forced to lay in the snow, unable to move.  
A low snarl escaped her jaws as Seras saw a large shadow loom above the bronze wolf. The Yale towered above the massive wolf for a moment as it charged forward, antlers lowered and jagged points ripped into flesh as Cisa crashed to the ground amidst bloodstained snow. Seras felt the weight lift off of her and she sat up stiffly, forcing herself to crab walk backwards away from where the wolf lay.  
The back of her shoulders collided with hot, soft fur and she jerked around to find herself staring into familiar eyes. Hans sat behind her in his wolf form, although he still appeared weak and hurt. With a cry of joy, Seras threw her arms around him, burying her face into the snowy fur. A low rumble sounded in his chest, though the strength she remembered from the first time they met was not behind it. He felt fragile and seemed frail, far thinner than she remembered the last time she had seen the big white wolf.  
The thunder of hooves in the snow brought her attention back to the Yale, who had circled about and was again charging Cisa as she staggered back to her feet. Seras took a deep breath as the spotted wolf dodged beneath the vicious antlers and sank her fangs into the hind leg of the Yale. A loud bellow erupted from the horned beast as it bucked and sent Cisa again to the ground with the loud snapping of a cloven hoof against bone. The wolf arose again, jaw dangling and salivating as the two monsters circled each other.  
Cisa lunged at the Yale's throat, only to have sharp front hooves strike her in the head and back. She collapsed in a heap in the snow as the Yale trampled her beneath it, charging back and circling for yet another bone shattering headbutt, rolling the massive wolf in the snow. With a loud squeal, Cisa thrashed about as the Yale sank it's long tusks in her flank and bit down. With a toss of it's head, the Yale sent her crashing several feet away.

* * *

**20th Germany **  
**Hans POV:**  
Hans stood in wolf form on the front lawn of the estate which the Major was using to house himself and his soldiers. The night was fading and the sun was already beginning to stretch beams of gold, purple, and blood red across the horizon. The scent of death hung heavily in the air and he sank to the damp grass in exhaustion. Loss of blood and the shame of defeat had stolen all of his energy and resolve. If he couldn't even defeat a single butler and a vampire, then how would he ever gain revenge? He wasn't only fighting Hellsing, but also Iscariot. He had just lost against the specs of dust crumbling off the towering behemoths.  
There was no one to consult with, no one to ask advice from. He was alone.  
"Captain, I don't see that boy's head anywhere. Don't tell me you failed..."  
Hans turned wearily to see the Major standing in a blood stained uniform and a hateful expression upon his chubby face. Failure was not something the Major had ever accepted, but this wasn't the first time that Hans had failed in the eyes of the tyrant. He was the last of his kind, an exotic species by all rights. He would never be punished to a severe enough extent to threaten his life.  
"Herr Major, might I offer a suggestion?" the Doktor shook his head and smiled a sickly grin.  
"Ja, go ahead."  
"Instead of punishment, why not let me do some tests? It won't hurt him, but it'll be unpleasant enough to encourage... productive behaviors."  
"Sure, do whatever. But, try not to break him, Doktor, I need him to be useful." The Major replied, waving his hand dismissively as if he had just decided upon what to have for dessert.  
Hans had never liked the Doktor, although he held little endearment for any humanoid creatures. This was all just a means to an end, he realized that now. He would never be able to bring down his enemies. The closest he would ever come to revenge would be to make sure his kind was not forgotten and stamped out as Hellsing and Iscariot wanted. If he could prove himself a warrior and die a hero, then perhaps that would be just as honorable as revenge?  
He felt himself lifted from the ground and rolled onto a stretcher while still in his natural form. He didn't put up a fight, he didn't have the strength left even if he had wished it. The air grew steadily cooler as he felt himself being heaved down a flight of stairs, fighting back the sleep of exhaustion as the scent of chemicals and decay assaulted his nose.

* * *

**Present**  
**Hans POV:**  
He watched with half lidded eyes as the Yale pummeled the familiar wolf. He felt himself torn in so many different directions. He hadn't been aware enough during captivity, but he knew that wolf. No other wolf he knew of had the brown fur and cream spots. She was no stranger, although she had grown considerably since he had last seen her. He had not even known she was still alive, much less grown so rapidly. It wasn't natural for their kind to grow so fast, at her age she should still be a gangly adolescent wolfkin, not a fully developed female that outweigh Hans, who was many centuries her senior.  
The massive horned beast set off hundreds of deeply instinctual alarms in his mind, telling him not to test it. It looked like an over sized elk that could out weigh a moose, yet it didn't smell like prey. It smelled like a predator, one far superior to himself. Just watching the monster gore, trample, and bite Cisa despite her ceasing to move long ago made his hackles stand on end.  
His bones were still mending, broken and yet slowly fusing back together. This was not something he was capable of intervening in, but even he felt pity for the bloodied pile of bronze and cream fur in the sea of dirty snow. Cisa was alive and he could smell the clotted blood and sense the healing process rapidly kick in after each blow. She was a young wolf, healing just rapidly enough to keep herself alive. But, she could not fight back anymore, now she was just attempting escape without success.  
His ears flicked to the side as he picked up a familiar scent, one he never thought he would find again. It wasn't possible... He was just imagining things while still half awake after days of ill treatment. With a soft sigh he let his head slump further down until he sank into Seras' lap, the sounds of battle fading as he blinked in and out of consciousness.**  
**He forced himself to stand and follow when Seras roused him to take up their retreat once more, no longer pursued by enemies. Turning back, he locked gazes with Cisa as she lay in a broken heap of blood and snow where the Yale had left her. That painfully familiar presence, so much harsher and unnaturally powerful pushed against his own. He wouldn't allow her in, not anymore. She was too weak to force the connection now and he could see the hate and betrayal fill the female's eyes as she watched him turn his back on her once again.

* * *

**1970**

**Hans POV:**

It had been decades since the Major and all of his associates and followers had retreated into a massive underground bunker. Time seemed to have lost all hold on them as they lay in wait for their chance to strike once more. The moon and sun could not reach their rays into this place and it was not permitted that anyone leave through the heavily guarded entrance. He could feel his spirit wither in the absence of his natural surroundings, with no space to run and hunt. It was stifling inside the bunker, which had truly only been made to keep the humans and vampires busy for the coming decades. He was even forced to sleep a wholly human room, which he typically spent far too much time in. The bunk bed had never been used and he usually went without using the lights, preferring to treat it as some natural cave.

It was in that room that he would take his true form, which would cause everything to feel quite cramped. But, he craved that feeling of normalcy. But, there was hardly anything normal about being alone for him. The vampire's words seemed to rattle about in his head constantly even after so many years. _You know, experts say lone wolves die quickly in the wild. Everything about a wolf is programmed to work in a pack environment._

As much as he despised the thought of agreeing with that wretched old leech, it was true. The void where his pack should be constantly weighed on his mind and no matter how long they had been dead, he would still wake up and expect to find them piled around him. Things had always been that way. The pack would huddle together to sleep, each with their chin resting comfortably upon the back or chest of a friend. That closeness and comfort was what he missed the most. It was impossible to forget them and move on, to stop mourning their loss. Hans had the constant, instinctive need to consider the pack and their needs, conditions, and wants before his own. Even without a pack, his mind would automatically consider how a situation would effect them. It was as if his pack had become phantoms he could not see, hear, or feel around him, but constantly forced their considerations upon his mind.

He was so lonely.

Sometimes the vampire known as Rip would attempt to spend time with him, as if she could tell he was depressed. She would sit by him at the empty table where his pack should have been gathered and chatter endlessly at him. Sometimes he would listen and other times he lost track of her subjects, it all depended on the day. A rare occurrence was Rip being silent, which was the case that day when she dropped into the seat across from him.

Unnerved by the unexpected behavior, Hans looked up at her for a moment. Her lips were drawn together in a tight line, eyes regarding him with a thoughtful look in them, and her eyebrows were creased together. No matter how much time he spent around these creatures, their facial expressions were complete mysteries to him. This one could be anything from concern to anger in the realm of human body language. Finally she blinked and locked gazes with him, something humans did that had always unnerved him. In his own kind's use of eye contact, it was usually a dominance issue. The one initiating the eye contact was attempting to show their dominance and power over the other and if the other locked that gaze, it was an acceptance of the challenge. Whoever averted their gaze first acknowledged the other as the dominant wolf. Sometimes, if neither broke eye contact a fight might break out to further establish rank among the pack. But, humans would make eye contact for no reason at all other than to do it. To do something without a purpose, it was something his mind just couldn't quite grasp.

"There is something I think you should know about, Captain." she whispered, eyes darting about as if afraid others might overhear.

From beneath her jacket, she pulled out a folder filled with documents and photographs. She passed it to him discretely, then looked about again to make sure she had not been seen. Hans flipped it open, staring at the scrambled marks on the paper that he knew meant something or another to humans. The only thing that made any sense to him were the photographs, which made him grit his fangs. There was a series of photographs of a small creature, seemingly as it grew older and developed. Aspects of the thing in the photographs were very close to a mid transformation wolfkin, maintaining both animal and humanoid aspects at the same time. It seemed that, as it grew, it changed in how much and how little it danced between one form or the other. But, Hans knew it was no creature naturally born of his kind.

His eyes sparked outrage as he glared back up at Rip, fangs bared and a low growl rumbling from his throat. She held up her hands in response, "I know... Listen, I didn't have anything to do with this, at least not knowingly. The Doktor... he's been engineering the child for awhile now, but I thought it was just another sort of vampire hybrid. When I actually saw it... I knew that it wasn't any sort of vampire. It is a completely genetic project, none of the physical changes in the experiment come from a chip like many of the artificial vampires here have. But, in order to engineer something this... complete, he would have to have a starting point that had been created naturally."

Her words sunk in and Hans felt anger boiling up inside him. That vile human scientist was attempting to artificially engineer hybrid of his species. The idea was absolutely outrageous and even more enraging were the only ways he could have possibly come by the genetic materials needed for such a project. They would have either had to take them from the corpses of his pack when they had died or have taken them from him years ago when the Major had allowed the doktor to tranquilize him after failing in his fight against the Hellsing runt.

"No one can know that I told you, Captain. The doktor would kill me..."

Rip was as cowardly as ever, only cruel and forceful when she felt completely in control. But, she seemed to have a sense of right and wrong, at least more so than the others. Hans had learned to trust the honest simplicity of the female vampire over the years, the only one who had ever bothered to attempt to keep him company. But, he was already up and moving toward the research facilities occupied by the doktor within the bunker. Almost everything in the bunker revolved around the doktor's research or the engineers who created new weapons and aircraft for future use. Hans could not, would not, accept such abuse of his species as some sort of cloned abominations as what the doktor was creating now.

The facility was dark when he entered it, the smells of chemicals assaulting his nostrils. Many things were scattered about the laboratory, none of them natural. There were organs and body parts stored in fluid on shelves and strange displays here and there of body parts from various species grotesquely put together. It reminded him of the paintings on the walls of certain areas of the bunker, but more along the tastes of the doktor. The scientist had always adored anything unnatural and twisted. There was no doubt in Hans' mind that the hideous displays were the doktor's own handiwork. One that particularly unsettled him was of a humanoid torso with several other bodies that were merely hips and legs surgically attached to the base body's spine. It made the hideous thing look like a human with three sets of legs stacked behind each other like that of an insect.

Entering through another door, Hans found himself in a dimly lit laboratory lined with small cages that he soon discovered were filled with living creatures. The scent of rot and decay was heavy in the air, along with the pungent odor of waste and mold. As he glanced inside each cage, he found what he could only imagine were genetic experiments the doktor was attempting to keep alive. Many of the pitiful wretches groaned and gurgled in pain, lying in filthy cages that many times were too small for their occupant. One creature appeared human, except for its horribly deformed skull which was elongated in a way that forced the nose to nearly collapse within and the mouth to jut out in a way that it could not work properly and a swollen tongue lolled out as if it had been bitten too many times and had become infected. Another creature appeared like a normal human, but as he passed by and caught its attention it attempted to crawl towards him, revealing another, smaller human attached to the back. The doktor had surgically fused their spines together, a procedure which had obviously become rapidly infected.

Hans wanted nothing more than to run from this place and empty his stomach of the food which now soured and threatened to come back up his throat. Finally, he came across a cage which was kept considerably cleaner than the others. Inside was the creature from the documents Rip had shown him. He sniffed the air inside the cage, searching for a hint of wolf scent in the air. He could detect nothing over the odors of decay and infection in the room, which only made him feel sicker. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he crushed the lock on the cage door between his fingers and reached in to pick up the small body inside.

The little thing was still very much alive and considerably healthy compared to the state of the other experiments surrounding it. There was only a few signs of surgical intrusion around the body, all of which was either shown by slight scars or uninfected stitching. Two animal ears swiveled about its head and fangs replaced human teeth, a small furry tail swished back and forth from its behind. Hans had never seen a pup take on a humanoid form in his lifetime, but he had also never seen one without a wolfkin mother and pack to influence it. They were all born with the ability to morph their bodies, just as the moon cycled through appearances. But, at such young ages they simply had no way of controlling such things. Perhaps this was what happened when the first image a pup saw was human? Had it instinctively attempted to fit in?

The little creature had honey colored fur and hair as it yawned and stretched in his outstretched arms, seeming to feel indignant that he had moved it while it had been sleeping. Hans had never seen a human baby before, was this how they looked before maturing? Unlike a wolfkin pup, it seemed as if this creature had no ability to control its muscles and instead was just a wrinkly, awkward chunk of baby fat with a few wolf like parts here and there. Sure, new born pups couldn't see or hear, but that was temporary. This creature was too large to be that young. For a moment, Hans awkwardly stared at the chubby little creature as it squirmed about in his grasp then opened its eyes and regarded him with suspicion. Its ears flattened back and Hans cocked his head to the side, amused by a show of aggression from one so small.

Then it bit him.

Those tiny, baby fangs dug deep into his hand, nearly causing him to drop the fragile thing as he snarled in pain. He had forgotten how sharp those puppy teeth were, this creature had to be a wolfkin pup in some way, even if it wasn't natural. The pup let out a whiny series of yips, as if fussing at him for handling it roughly after it had drawn blood from his palm. The noise was loud and made him paranoid about being noticed, leading him to exit back out into the other lab.

As he exited the research area, he found himself face to face with the doktor and the Major. Both humans glared at him in disapproval, the doktor gritting his teeth with a vile glint to his eyes.

* * *

**Present Day**

**Seras POV:**

The Yale finally came to a halt in a small thicket within the surrounding forest, ears swiveling around in search of any sounds of approaching danger. The horned beast appeared in all respects like a sort of giant deer, but after watching it in battle, Seras knew it was a predatory monster. The images of the Yale battling with the ghouls and with Cisa flashed through her mind, the Yale becoming increasingly violent with each. Cisa had had no power over the Yale, in contrast it had appeared to have power over her. Again and again, the Yale had gored her with its wicked antlers, trampled her with cloven hooves, and mauled her with vicious teeth and those long tusks. Any other creature would have died, but Cisa's swift healing abilities had saved her. When she had finally retreated, Seras had known then that the Yale's true nature was not at all gentle.

"The enemy has halted pursuit, you are safe for now." The Yale declared as it began to meticulously rub its antlers against a nearby tree, shaving off the blood and gore impaled upon the many points.

Seras turned back to look at Hans, who had been following them in his wolf form. The large, white wolf limped slowly with his head nearly dragging in the snow, barely conscious. He collapsed in a heap of fur at her feet, sighing out a puff of steam as she settled down next to him. She stroked the tangled fur atop his head, just happy to see that he was alive and moving. His pale gray eyes looked up at her blue ones, reflecting a tired understanding in their depths. It had been days since she had seen any focus or comprehension inside of Hans' eyes. She had so many questions.

She felt the fur give way as Hans shifted into a human form, still battered and bloody but very much alive. She felt guilty as she leaned in and brushed her forehead against his, breathing in his earthy scent. He smelled of life again, like he should have smelled all along. The pulse in his veins was strong, free of the tainted smell of poisonous silver. Her gut pulled, bidding her to drink from that sweet tasting blood after going for so long without any food. Her lips brushed against his throat, tasting the salty flavor of his skin as she held back her fangs from the vein.

As if he understood her inner fight against instinct, Hans arched his neck slightly and his warm skin pressed against her fangs. He was inviting her to bite him, to draw strength from his blood despite being weak and injured himself. She needed to drink so badly, but in the back of her mind she also needed to feel his presence in her mind. Seras pressed her fangs into his skin, piercing into the vein and drinking deeply from the fresh blood flowing through it. It tasted pure and sweet with that wild tang she remembered from before, no trace of tainted silver anywhere. She could feel him then, his weakened presence mingling with her own consciousness. It was stronger and more aware now, but exhausted.

"Hans?"

_'Yes, sanft madchen?'_

"I'm so happy that you're alright... I was scared," She pulled herself close to him as she sipped from his neck, basking in the warmth of his arms.

_'Yes, I'll be better once I rest.'_

She could feel his thoughts as they swirled about, focusing on the Yale with doubt and confusion. He seemed to know something about the Queen's Beast, but very little if even. His thoughts then focused again on her, picking up on her own thoughts and melting them together as a whole. He wasn't blocking her out anymore, she could feel all of him. She could feel as his bones slowly fused themselves back together where they had been broken, feel his bruised muscles healing, feel his mind open up to her own. It was a closeness only a willing person could give to her, allowing her to drink from them. With Pip it had been bitter sweet, ending in his death. But, with Hans there was no bitter ending. He simply healed and continued on, their connection fading as she removed her fangs from his flesh.

"Hans... Was... Was Cisa a werewolf like you? I mean, she was able to turn into a wolf." She felt his mind retract away from her own, as if unwelcoming of such memories.

_'Yes and no.'_

She could feel his wave of mixed emotions toward Cisa, both as a familiar entity and as a complete surprise. There was a strange attachment to the female wolf and yet, a deep hatred as well. He was troubled by Cisa's existence and yet, not completely surprised by it either.

_'She was born in that scientists lab. Unnatural to begin with and tampered with constantly as she grew. Her basic structure is a wolfkin, like me. But, the doktor has twisted and distorted her body and mind into something else. She may have begun as a wolfkin, but she is something else now. She was the first the doktor attempted to create based off of genetic samples taken from my pack when they died, some even came from me. She was the most successful one, because she was the only one I raised. The others, I refused to accept them. With Cisa, I didn't understand what was planned out for her, I was foolish. The others withered into something else, they lacked the ability of a wolfkin without any guidance. I'm not sure what the doktor did with them, I never asked. Cisa was not always the way she is now. I treated her like my own pup, raised her the way I was raised. I ignored my own instincts to abandon her. Instincts are there for a reason, to guide us when our selfish thoughts would lead us astray.'_

* * *

**1970**

**Hans POV:**

Hans snarled at the two humans, for the first time daring to issue such a threatening act towards the Major. The doktor recoiled slightly, but the Major merely smiled at him. Everyone knew very well that Hans was the favorite among the Major's soldiers. Mainly because he was obedient and never spoke, much less opposed the Major. The Major wagged his finger back and forth, tsking while shaking his head as if chiding an ill mannered child.

"Come now, Captain, don't go biting the hands that feeds you now." The Major chuckled, glancing at the doktor with a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"That is a very valuable experiment, Herr Major! If he ruins it, I don't know if I have the materials for another successful one," The Doktor screeched, sweating profusely as he grew increasingly agitated.

"Calm down, Doktor. The Captain wouldn't harm one of his own, ja?"

Hans' eyes moved between the two men, uncertain of who he should trust. On one hand, he was outraged that the vile scientist had played god with the corpses of his murdered pack, but the familiar presence of another wolf, even one so small, was wonderful. Even though it was small, he could feel the presence of the pup's consciousness starting to fill the void left by his pack. It was only natural for him to protect it. The only thing the pack had ever protected with their lives was their pups, their land, and their prey. Even pack members could be chased off if proven to not be an asset, but puppies... Puppies were precious, every single pack member had a part to play even if not blood related to a litter. They all would feed them, teach them, and care for them. They would even eat first with the alphas when they were big enough. Underneath that overwhelming need for something to fill the void in his mind, he knew deep down that this creature was not a true wolf like he was. But, he didn't care.

"You know, Doktor. A wolf raised by humans is little more than a big dog, it takes wolves to raise wolves. Why not, let this one stay with Captain and see how it measures up to others in the future? That would be valuable research, nein?"

The Doktor chewed on his fingernails as he mulled over the idea in his mind, unwilling to contradict the Major even on his own experiments, "Fine... But, he must give it back to me whenever I ask."

"Captain?"

Hans thought for a moment, knowing that if he agreed he would have to allow the Doktor to take the pup whenever he wanted. This would most likely mean experiments, things to alter what little natural biology was there. But, if he refused then he would most likely be tranquilized, with the pup taken permanently and himself being punished for insubordination. Gritting his teeth, Hans nodded. He felt badly for the other pitiful things locked in cages in that laboratory, but he felt no obligation to them. They weren't even slightly his kind and therefore, nature didn't require him to act for their benefit.

The Major reached out and patted the child's head, "Teach it well, Captain. If it is half as useful as you, then I foresee letting you have more of them. Wouldn't it be nice to bring back your species from extinction?"

Hans held back a growl as the Major laughed and walked away with the Doktor, both entering the research facilities. It angered Hans to know that the Major could manipulate him so easily, especially when he was already there of his own free will. Or was it his own free will? He wasn't sure anymore. He allowed his body to morph into his true wolf form, nearly taking up the entire hallway in doing so. Away from the assaulting smells of the laboratory, he bent down and sniffed the child as it sat upon the floor and stared at him. Despite the stench of chemicals and the lingering odors of where it had been kept, Hans could detect the smell of a wolf underneath it all. A little female pup.

She stared up at him for a moment, studying his wolf form with intense interest. It was as if she knew he was testing her, waiting to see if she too would take on the more natural form. After all, if she was a wolfkin, it would be easier for her to keep that form at her age than the half humanoid one she had now. It was impressive that an infant would be capable of taking on human features at all, much less hold them. But, if that was just her natural state, then she was no more a wolfkin than the artificial vampires were a true vampire. He growled at her, allowing himself to act on instinct for the first time in decades.

For a moment, she stared up at him unafraid as he bared his fangs at her. Then she scrunched her face up, slowly changing into the form he had hoped she would. Before him now sat a very small wolf pup, but her unnatural colors startled him. She had a brown base coat with creamy patches scattered about, something that would have caused her to immediately be abandoned by any pack in the wild. But, this was not the wild, and at this rate they were not afforded the luxury of culling the inferior. Instinct had a way of insuring the strong survived, but he fought against his instinctual pull to leave the pup there on the floor and never look back. Instead, he picked her up by the scruff and carried her towards the safety of his room.

* * *

**Dun dun duuunnnn! **

**And that, my friends, is the origin of Cisa! Or at least, the beginning of it. And a tinsy bit of Hans x Seras cuteness to make up for the long wait!**

**Oh and by the way, I have a poll setup on my profile. Just a fun thing as a thanks to all my wonderful readers/reviewers for sticking with me when I go inactive for weeks. Go vote on the Hellsing character who hasn't yet made an appearance and the winner will have a highlight in the upcoming chapter after June 30th.(should be 2 chapters from this one?)**

**Feel free to pm me or post in a review if you feel a character that isn't listed in the poll deserves to be on it(or at least I can pm you and tell you why they aren't ;) )**

**Have fun!**


	23. Chapter 20

**1970**

**Hans POV:**

It felt nice to maintain his natural form for an extended time once more, despite the stares and uneasy glances of the others around him. Hans flattened his ears as several of the newest editions to the Werewolf Forces, the name which had originally been given to his pack when they had joined the Major. Now, however, he was the only actual one in the group of soldiers that lived up to the namesake, the rest being vampires. The Major had claimed they were the best of his vampires, which was why he had promoted them into the group. The female, Rip, was one of the first to be added, then another female vampire named Zorin. The Major had expressed interest in having the pup Hans had taken under his wing in joining the same force as well, however Hans doubted that would happen in the Major's assumed time frame.

Cisa, as Hans had been told was the pup's name according to the Doktor, had quickly become a source of normalcy for him. She was surprisingly capable of shifting and holding her form at will, typically mimicking Hans' chosen form most of the time. Once she had grown used to her legs in wolf form, she had quickly taken to them and would dash around the underground bunker as if it were her personal playground. It kept Hans busy, constantly having to keep up with the seemingly endless bundle of energy.

She had also quickly become a favorite for the Major as well, who would often allow her to sit in his lap during any of the officer meetings. The only true downside to her presence in his life was having to constantly give her up to the Doktor at a moments notice. The scientist would whisk her away, then return her anywhere from hours to days later in far worse condition than he had received her. It only fueled Hans' hatred for the human.

He had quickly noticed the little female grew faster than she should have, already the size of a wolf pup who had lived for a few decades despite only having been in Hans' care a matter of months. Her mind was far less developed than her body and it showed greatly with her motor skills. Cisa looked old enough to begin communicating, but had barely even grasped how to share her basic emotions through their mental link. He knew when she was hungry, frightened, or happy but only because he could feel her emotions through their link. It was nothing more than that, although he hoped her mind would eventually catch up to her lanky body.

They sat at his usual table for the last meal of the day, Hans in human form and wearing the uniform he had been given long ago. Cisa had copied his transformation and was crouched on all fours on the seat across from him. Both of them had heaping helpings of meat on the plates before them, but Hans merely watched as the younger wolf scarfed down her food. It felt strange to know the pup only thought that food came like this, handed to them on a platter. She didn't know how to hunt and he had no way of teaching her inside of this place. Then on top of that was her unnatural growth and underdeveloped mental abilities. It made him uneasy.

"Captain, why don't you teach her some table manners?"

Turning around, Hans glanced at Rip as she made a face of disgust while watching the eating taking place. For a moment he just stared at her then turned back to see Cisa spit gristle from her teeth. She was a little sloppy, but most puppies were. It was hardly anything he held in high regard, having never heard of "table manners" before joining up with the Major. He had eventually taken to using the forks and other utensils if only to avoid complaints, but Cisa merely used her fingers and teeth. They didn't eat cooked food either, which only added to the mess.

"Ugh, nevermind... I don't know why I asked," the female vampire flopped down into a seat beside Hans.

"She's grown very fast... The doktor is giving her growth harmones, huh? Poor thing, she has stretch marks on her arms." Rip mused, reaching out to poke at the marks on Cisa's skin. Her arms had stretch marks on them from where her limbs had rapidly grown longer, too fast for her skin to respond normally. Cisa glanced up at her at the contact, eyes focusing on the draculina while setting down her food for a moment.

After a moment of interest, Cisa looked away from rip and picked up a stripped clean rib bone and began to gnaw on it harshly. In reality she should have already lost some teeth at her size, but at her age she really shouldn't have even had them all grown in much less falling out. Finally a loud crunching sound caused Rip to cringe as Cisa snapped the bone in half and began to noisily suck out the marrow in the center. Hans could feel the amusement Cisa felt at Rip's reactions through their mental link.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

Hans lay curled around Seras in his wolf form, thick fur protecting them both from the snow. For whatever reason he could not sleep despite his exhaustion. The snow floated lazily down from the heavy clouds in the night sky, blanketing everything and even freezing to the tips of his fur. Off to their right the Yale stood watch silently, unmoving like a stone statue. He felt small compared to the massive creature and still had a considerable amount of unease toward it. After watching it gore and trample Cisa over and over again, he was well aware of its ability. After all, Hans had taught Cisa everything he knew about combat and the hunt. Although she may have lapsed in ability in the decades they had been separated, they were still at least fairly evenly matched.

It was the female wolf's telepathic ability that so disturbed Hans. No wolf before had ever had the ability to so thoroughly invade another's mind, much less use that control to paralyze them. Whatever changes the Doktor had made since he had last seen Cisa, they had made her into a true monster. She was unnatural to him now, he _could_ not even sense the slightest bit of a wolfkin about her, yet he still felt as if some of this might be his own fault. He should have never allowed her to live, never raised her.

He should have never taken her from that cage.

Seras stirred and rolled over slightly, her face nuzzling against his neck as she slept. What did she think of him now that she knew the truth about his involvement with Cisa? Through their temporary link he had felt her surprise, fear, and uncertainty about the news. Yet, he could not tell what was and wasn't directed at him personally. She hadn't spoken to him very much since then, only sat with him and ran her fingers through his fur. The little draculina had really worked her way into his heart, even more so after their ordeal with the doktor.

It was still beyond him why Seras cared so much for him, he wasn't even a part of her species. The Hellsing organization had hunted his into extinction, but they also hunted her own kind. He didn't know her reasons for joining their ranks, although he was aware she was the fledgling of the vampire Alucard. His distaste for the old vampire was still strong and he could not deny that he felt an aversion toward the fondness Seras felt for her master. Whenever they were linked together by her drinking his blood, he could always feel the distinct emotion of Seras missing her master. It was a natural thing for a fledgling vampire to have an instinctual love for their master, but Hans always tried to stay away from that part of her consciousness. He still hated the vampire, no matter what his affiliation with Seras was.

* * *

**1980**

**Hans POV:**

_'Why do I have to do this again?'_

Cisa's voice rang through their mental link as hans continued to circle around her in wolf form where she lay, attempting to somehow teach her some combat lessons. She was already a lanky pup, despite still having the maturity of a wolf pup who had only just begun to leave the pack's den. Instead of answering her question, Hans just growled and snapped his teeth near her feet as a silent order to get up.

They were in the fairly spacious combat training arena within the expansive bunker, several vampires and others watching them as they sparred together. Hans was a good deal larger than Cisa and he was somewhat gentle on her, but pain was a good teacher and he pushed her hard. One of the female vampires named Zorin also stood off to the side, watching them intently. Whenever the two wolves took to the arena, there was no safe space left for anyone else to practice.

Cisa was again on her feet and began to circle him as well, eyes darting about searching for an opening. Hans flattened his ears and intentionally gave her just what she was looking for, causing her to take the bait. The bronze and white pup charged forward and leaped for his back, sinking her puppy teeth into the scruff of his neck. It felt more like a pinch to him as she attempted to force him onto the ground by using her weight to yank down on his neck.

_'Good, but you should bite down and tear at it. That will hurt more and cause them lose their footing.'_

Hans shook her off and demonstrated by biting the back of her neck and grabbing a mouth full of loose scruff, then tossing his head back and forth to yank her around then force her down onto her back. He wasn't hurting her, although if he had been in a true fight he would have probably torn off the skin on the back of her neck. At her size, Cisa could fight him without holding back and never hurt him. But, Hans had to maintain a degree of restraint with her, while also making himself show her openings so she could learn when to strike.

But it wasn't the same as a real hunt, not like the ones Hans had learned his abilities on.

_'I'm tired... Why do I need to learn these things?'_ Cisa whined as she rolled over onto her belly and stared up at him.

'_You are a wolfkin, it is our way.' _

_'No, it's your way. You speak of hunting, but there is no reason for us to hunt. You say I need to learn to fight, but nothing ever attacks us. You speak of the Moon, but I have never seen any such thing! It is pointless.'_

Hans snarled and pinned her beneath his fore paws, staring her in the eyes as he held his jaws over her exposed throat. A low, pitiful whine escaped her as she held still and he could feel the slight fear which entered her mind. She knew that she had made him angry with her disrespectful words, but at the same time could he really blame her? He was raising her on values and customs which he had learned centuries ago when his species had been well populated. Now it was just the two of them and they were confined to the underground bunker, fed their food like domesticated dogs, and went unchallenged by the other residents of the bunker. The pup had never even been outside, she had never seen the moon nor felt grass beneath her paws.

She had been born into a world that was no longer meant for them, far away from their natural habitat. He released her neck from his grip and stepped off of her, ears still flattened in irritation. Nature did not exist in Cisa's world. She had never seen the sky, felt the grass, nor slept beneath the warm night sky. She had been born into this captivity and Hans had no hope of ever teaching her the meaning behind his lessons when she had never experienced anything of the world outside.

"Captain, I will have to break up this lovely display. It is time for Cisa to come with me for a few tests."

Hans turned around and stared at the Doktor with distaste, feeling Cisa's distress at having to go with the awful human. Since she had begun to speak with him, Hans had learned the true horrors she went through at the hands of the scientist. He wished to improve her anatomy and other things, injecting her with hormones and performing various surgeries. The Doktor wanted to engineer a superior version of the wolfkin and Cisa was his prized subject.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

It was difficult to take in the concept of Hans having raised Cisa. The way the woman had treated him while they were being kept prisoner, no matter had happened between them in the past, Seras couldn't understand the hatred. The woman didn't want to kill him, not instantly, she had wanted to make him suffer. The days that Cisa had come down into that cellar, she had always tortured Hans. Forcing the feeding tube down his throat, hitting him, tormenting his wounds and broken bones... Seras was terrified of the female wolf. It wasn't just her ability to turn her into a living statue, but the way she enjoyed torturing Hans... It was horrifying.

They were again moving through the forest, following the Yale. Hans moved silently beside her, but she couldn't quite bring herself to look at him fully. The way Cisa had turned on Hans, it seemed like a level of betrayal on par of if she betrayed Alucard. Just the thought of treachery against her now dead master turned her stomach, the thought of torturing him even more so. Cisa had done all of those things to Hans and yet he seemed so resigned to his fate about it. Why was he not angry or sad? It was as if he had just accepted it and chose to feel nothing about it.

When they came to a clearing in the woods, the Yale came to a halt and stood staring out toward the flat terrain where Seras could see a helicopter and its crew waiting. Her sharp eyes picked up the welcome sight of long blonde hair and the scent of cigar smoke smelled so sweet to her nose. Sir Integra had personally come to save her. She turned to the Yale and Hans, fighting the urge to run to her master's master.

"This is where we part ways, fledgling. I must return to my own master now." The large creature turned its body around and began to leave, not even bothering to truly say goodbye or see if they made it to the helicopter. Seras looked to Hans who had already taken on his human form again, watching her with his stoic expression. She realized what this meant then. Either he could come with her and risk Sir Integra putting him to death immediately, or they could part ways forever.

Putting her feelings about the situation with Cisa aside, Seras reached out to wrap her arms around Hans. He was so much taller than her and she breathed in his earthy scent as she pressed her forehead against his muscular chest. She didn't want to leave him. His arms came up and encircled her, pulling her closer to the warmth of his body. He hummed soothingly to her, like the purr of a large cat. She could feel the tears start to fall as the fear of losing him again welled up inside.

"I'm afraid..." She whispered, surprised by the shakiness of her own voice.

He merely made a deeper rumbling sound in his throat and buried his face in her hair, sniffing her as if trying to memorize her scent. She had become so accustomed to his mannerisms, having him sniff her no longer felt strange. It felt far stranger to think of being separated from him. Taking a deep breath, Seras pulled away from him and took his big hand into her own.

"Come with me, Hans. We need you... I need you. I won't let Sir hurt you. I promise." She stared up into his eyes, wishing that she could fine a spark of emotion there. But, in that same stoic expression he merely nodded.

Together they stepped out into the open where the agents of Hellsing could see them.

* * *

**1980**

**Hans POV:**

****Explicit Content Warning****

Cisa had been gone for days and Hans had grown uneasy as she had blocked him completely from her mind. He could still feel her there, but nothing communicated through their link. She didn't want him to feel her emotions, to know anything other than that she was alive. She had done this many times before, but only during the worst of the Doktor's experiments. It could only mean that she was in extreme pain.

He was returning to his quarters, the soldiers in the halls parting around him like water around a jutting rock. He could smell their fear in the sweat they produced when he came near, his presence activating their ancient instinctual nature. Humans, even vampires, had abandoned their primitive sides. On one hand, they had incredible technology and knew much more than his kind had ever dream too. But, they were weak. Instincts were guides when logic failed, and he still lived by his. His kind had been the top predators on the planet for hundreds of thousands of years, even more so than the vampires. At their very core, a vampire was a parasite. Without its natural host, the entire species could die out. Wolfkin had no such need, they hunted whatever they pleased.

He stopped outside of the door to his room, sniffing the air at the scent of blood. It was not unusual to smell such a thing in this vampire infested bunker, but it never smelled so fresh and warm. Opening the door, he felt his chest tighten at the sight of Cisa sprawled out on the bed. She was covered in bruises and cuts which had been stitched back together, her neck completely wrapped in bloody bandages. Her hair had been completely shaven off her head, revealing a massive scar which had also been stitched up.

She didn't react to his presence as she simply lay still and heaved a heavy sigh. He knelt down beside her and reached out to touch her hand, wincing as she flinched and pulled away from him. He pushed against her consciousness with his own, but was rejected forcefully. She did not want him to be with her at all. With a soft sigh, he leaned down and gently licked one of the lines of stitches and tasted chemicals upon the wounds. She whined at him as he continued to lick her wounds, trying to comfort her.

The night passed in that way, Hans even fell asleep while still trying to comfort her. He knew that with waking would come healing, Cisa had always healed at a faster rate than he did. She would be chewing out the stitching by the morning, earning another scolding by the Doktor.

When he awoke again, she was no longer on the bunk which he had fallen asleep next to on the floor. He stretched and sat up, seeing the bloodied gauze and bandages strewn about the room. He could hear the shower running in the adjoined bathroom to the room and simply sat waiting to see if she was alright. When she excited the bathroom she came out with a tower wrapped around her and hair already starting to grow back on her head. She still seemed out of sorts, keeping him blocked out completely.

Sniffing the air, Hans picked up a scent he had not smelled in centuries. Alarmed he stared at her as she dropped the towel and began to look over her own body to check the progress of her healing. Even if he had never taken much stock in their humanoid forms, he could still see the stark difference between what Cisa had looked like before and what she looked like now after being in the Doktor's care for nearly a week. It was appalling to him to see that she begun to mature so much, her chest only days ago having been flat now had well developed breasts, her hips had widened, and the scent she was giving off... It was impossible to mistake it, not with the way their species worked biologically. She had gone into heat, something that should not have happened for at least another century from now.

The heavy pheromones she was releasing caused his own inner workings to start in motion, but he fought back against the instincts. She was still just a puppy, no matter what her body looked like. Her mind wasn't ready and as her mind slowly opened up to his, he could feel the confusion and fear she had. Of course she wouldn't understand what was happening, he hadn't expected to need to explain such a thing so prematurely. And he had also hoped to be away from her when the time had come, even less so in the same room as her.

Females of his species only went into heat every few centuries or so and when they did, it caused them to release powerful pheromones. The rarity of it had caused their species to need to react to such a thing strongly, so that they would not dwindle for lack of births. It was a smell that a male could pick up from miles away and he was only a few feet from her. It was like trying to fight off the effects of a tranquilizer, nearly futile.

_'What's happening to me?'_

He nearly jumped out of his own hide when she began to walk towards him, cheeks flushed and sweat mixing with the water on her skin. He held his breath, trying not to smell any more of her scent while he struggled to control himself. She was too close to him, her body heat radiating from her like an oven. It was all the typical symptoms, but her age... It just shouldn't have been possible. She wasnot even twenty years old, she should have still been small enough to carry by the scruff. She hadn't even lost her baby teeth yet. He wasn't even sure if she had any clue what sex was.

Cisa leaned against him, nuzzling into the nape of his neck just like she always did. She was behaving almost normally, having the need to follow instinct without the understanding to even know what she craved. The normalcy of her actions ceased as she suddenly bit at his neck, pressing against him as he tried to only breath through his mouth. He could almost taste her scent, trying to will away his body's reactions. He felt her hand as it suddenly reached down to feel his groin, which had already reacted to the situation despite his attempt to maintain control. She nipped at his ear as he growled a warning, struggling to make his mind work as he felt himself sinking into the almost trance like state.

This wasn't the first time Hans had been around a female in heat, but he had never mated with one. He had been with females for pleasure, but not during their heat cycles. It was a time of mayhem really, sending every male within forty miles into a frenzy. They would fight viciously over the female if she did not have a mate, while she would be driven to roll over for any male who came up to her. Females with mates would simply go off from the pack with only their mate, avoiding the whole spectacle. But a single female, she would let the males fight over her while she teased them for days until she felt like the strongest had made himself known. At least, the experienced females would. Younger females would often be at the mercy of instinct, only maintaining one partner if the first male to take her stuck around to make sure the resulting litter of pups would be his alone.

Hans fought to keep his thoughts straight as he felt himself nearly give in as Cisa grabbed his hardened sex through the fabric of his pants. She was literally throwing herself at him, biting his neck and rubbing against him. Gathering what little sense of control he had left, Hans roughly shoved her off of him. She hit the floor hard and snarled angrily at him as he stood up while she was already moving towards him again. He needed to get away from her, away from her scent. This wasn't right, it wasn't natural. She was too young.

He nearly fell over his suddenly clumsy legs as he exited the room, struggling to hold the door closed while Cisa clawed at it and yanked on the handle to follow him. He could still smell her through the door, but his foggy mind started to clear now that it wasn't so strong and overpowering. Whatever the Doktor had done to her, Hans had to get away. It would only get worse as days went by, lasting nearly a month. If he could just find somewhere to shut off everything else and stay away from her while this blew over, it might be alright. Cisa howled angrily from the other side of the door, hurling herself against it in an attempt to force it open.

****End explicit content****

* * *

**Present **

**Hans Pov:**

He moved behind Seras as the Hellsing soldiers trained their guns on him, murmuring among themselves as they approached. Sir Integra Hellsing stepped out of the helicopter and sternly stared him down, her eyes narrowing slightly as she blew smoke from her lips. His healing was still slowed from the silver which was now gone, although his bones had mostly mended correctly. He could still feel the deep bruising in his muscles and felt stiff when he moved. Once again he was in the presence of the same people he had dreamed of slaughtering for many decades now.

But, that urge was gone.

"Seras... What the hell is that?" Integra's voice was angry, her face betraying her rage.

"It's ok, Sir. He won't hurt us, he helped me. The Doktor captured us both, he isn't working with the Nazi anymore. He wants to help us." Seras explained, her blue eyes shimmering as she explained, still clinging to Hans' hand.

"You're telling me that the Major's lapdop, who bloody killed half of what was left of my men escaping the headquarters, wants to turn coats now? Why doesn't he speak for himself? I didn't take him for a coward."

Seras, stepped between them as Hans growled at the insult, barring his teeth at the human woman as she smirked at him through her cigar.

"He can't sir. I can talk to him though, if I... bite him. He looks human like this, but he isn't. He isn't built like us, so he can't talk like us. But, I've been inside his head, Sir. And the Doktor... the mad man is still alive, and he has a werewolf with him. Not like Hans though. Hans was born naturally, but the one with the Doktor is an experiment. She can control people with her mind, I couldn't move if she was near me. He's the only one who understands what is going on now. We need him."

Sir Integra tapped the ashes from her cigar as she regarded Hans for a moment, the silence between them heavy as the soldiers refused to lower their weapons. It did feel strange, to know that he would be serving his long time enemy. But, times had changed. Nothing would bring back his species and he now knew that attempting to make them live on through a final display of power was folly. He had been such a fool. The least he could do now was to right his own wrongs. At least this wasn't Iscariot, the ones he who had slaughtered Snotra and the others in front of him. And yet, he felt less anger towards even them.

"Prove it then. Until he does, I will have orders to have him shot the moment he so much as looks at me wrong."

With that Integra turned on her heels to reenter the helicopter, the soldiers filing in behind her and Seras doing the same. Hans stood outside for a moment, feeling the burning gaze of Integra as she watched and waited for him to make a move. He was so tired of war. But, he had to undo his wrongs. Hellsing and Iscariot had committed horrible crimes, but then so had he. Looking around at the snowy forest surrounding the clearing, he took a deep breath of the crisp air then jumped into the helicopter and took a seat next to Seras as the pilot took off.

* * *

**1980**

**Hans Pov:**

****Explicit Content Warning****

Hans had been avoiding his own room for days now, attempting to stay away from Cisa. He could smell her wherever he went in the bunker, but anytime he sensed her getting near and the scent growing stronger he would dart away and hide again. It felt like she was hunting him as he avoided her, several times nearly breaking out into a fight with her when she caught up with him. It was not easy to chase her off, his own body aching to accept her advances. But, he knew that she wasn't really herself now. She was driven by the maddening urge to mate and he was just barely able to resist his own.

He still felt uneasy when the Major called for him, aware of the closeness Cisa was to him now that he was near the Major's headquarters. Entering the large room, he was relieved to find that she was not there. Only the Major and the Doctor were present, both men talking quietly over a mess of papers spread across the Major's desk. Hans closed the door behind him, standing at attention when the Major looked up and smiled at him.

"Captain, so good of you to come," The fat little human snickered and leaned back in his chair, turning to the Doctor expectantly. The lanky human chewed his finger nails nervously as he looked Hans up and down, muttering beneath his breath.

"You'll have to excuse the good Doktor, he is a bit... upset that things haven't gone his way. But, we're about to remedy that, ja?"

The Doktor smiled wickedly as he turned toward the Major, both men then turning towards Hans again. He felt uncomfortable with their demeanor, yet still felt as if his mind was made up of fog. Even at a distance, Cisa's scent effected him and he had been struggling to think clearly for days now. The feeling of cold metal against his neck caught him off guard as a collar which burned at his skin was clamped around him, causing him to snarl angrily as he felt himself forced forward. The metal stank of silver, only further angering him. If he broke the metal now, it would probably pierce his throat.

"Behave yourself, Captain. We aren't causing any harm. This is your own fault for not cooperating. It isn't like you to be disobedient."

He was driven like a wild dog on a the end of a control stick through a side door, leading into a room he had not seen before. Inside the scent of pheromones hit him like a bullet, only further clouding up his muddled mind. It was hard to concentrate and he felt as if his awareness had just flown away from him, like his mind wasn't in his body anymore. Cisa was there, he could smell her. The Doktor secured more of the silver restraints onto his wrists and ankles, tightening them until his hands were over his head and he could no longer move his feet. A strong piece of leather was moved over his mouth then secured behind his ears, shielding any nearby flesh from his fangs.

He breathed heavily and snarled, eyes darting about as he felt a needle prick his arm. He lurched around to bite whoever had just stuck him, but tasted only the leather of the muzzle and felt the bite of the silver as it dug into his skin. Even with his mind in such a fog, he could tell that he was trapped. The Major had always afforded him respect, knowing that his loyalties only lay with the promise of revenge. This was out of character, but he couldn't even wrap his mind around being angry with the humans.

"There now, the shot will sedate him enough to keep him from causing trouble, but not enough that he will be useless. If they reproduce it will be very profitable for us, a new pack of werewolves all with the same enhancements as Cisa. And while he is restrained, I can implant the new chip to ensure his continued obedience.

Hans felt something like the muzzle of a gun against his gut, but his vision was swimming and he couldn't quite make out what it was. With a sharp pain in his side, he felt something propelled into his gut. It was the size of a coin that the humans hoarded for treasure, but he could feel it as the wound resealed itself over the object. He could only snarl in response, thrashing about weakly as the sedative took full effect. It was if he were a prisoner in his own body, yet he was able to feel everything even if he couldn't quite see or hear as he should have.

"That, mein Captain, is what I have named the F.R.E.A.K. chip. If you die, it will incinerate your body immediately. If you disobey, I can manually activate it without needing to kill you. You are mine now." The Doktor whispered into his ear, then moved away.

Hans could smell the pheromones in the room grow even more dense when Cisa entered it, her half crazed whine making his body jerk. He felt her breath against his neck as she licked there, then bit down and shook as if to punish him for playing cat and mouse with her the past week. His muscles wouldn't respond the way he wanted, instead feeling sluggish and heavy like dead weights. There was no escaping her now. This was all so wrong.

She was sniffing him, taking in his scent as he dangled from the silver chains around his wrist. He wanted to resist, but his instincts wanted to give in to the natural reaction the pheromones demanded. He felt her teeth nip at his hip as she clawed against his side, ripping the cloth and drawing blood. She was angry with him, displaying it despite the drive to mate. She was still somewhat aware of herself, but he knew better than to try to reach out with his mind. Instead he stayed closed off and attempted to send his mind elsewhere, to be anywhere but here.

But the feeling the fabric around his hips being removed brought him back, painfully aware as Cisa rubbed herself against him. Her butt rubbed against his groin, forcing his arousal to go between her legs and rub against the wetness there. It nearly hurt he was so pent up from trying to control himself. Then she pushed against him and he groaned as he felt himself slide inside, hating how good it felt. He was still restrained as she moved her hips about, doing as she pleased with him drugged beyond reaction. It was too much for him to fight against, the tightness in his gut building ever tighter as she moved. Either he would hate her for this or she would hate him, either way whatever they had was ruined. He should have known what was happening the moment he realized she had gone into the heat. This was the Doktor's doing.

As her hips bucked against him, he could feel himself losing control completely. It had been to long and he had fought against nature to hard, leaving him like this. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He had raised her. She was too young no matter how developed her body was. She wasn't ready for this. The tension inside him finally gave way as he felt himself release. He hung his head and grit his teeth as Cisa pulled away from him, her urges finally satisfied and reality beginning to set in.

****End Explicit Content****

* * *

**Present **

**Seras Pov:**

She was so relieved to see the Hellsing Estate again as they landed on the helicopter pad, everyone setting foot on the ground with sighs of relief. Despite the quiet flight home, they still kept a hand on their weapons as Hans stood beside Seras and sniffed the air. It reminded her of how uneasy his inhuman actions had made her before, perhaps all these soldiers felt the same way now? She smiled up at Hans, taking in the sight of the sunlight glinting off his snowy hair. His face was as serious and stoic as ever, but the frightening intensity of his eyes had softened since she had first met him. It was almost as if he had found some sort of peace inside, or perhaps it was just that she was beginning to understand him.

"Hans was it? Get him a uniform, I want a full explanation for this in the morning. He's all yours Seras, although I will remind you what happened last time I said that," Sir Integra strode away, flanked by two of the more senior soldiers of the group.

The others dispersed quickly, only too happy to put distance between themselves and Hans. Seras reached out and patted his broad back, smiling up at him encouragingly. He was a good person, she knew it. He just needed to find the right direction and stick to it. No matter his past with Cisa and Millennium, Seras trusted him. He didn't respond to her touch, merely stared up at the crimson clouds around the setting sun. It was nearly a clear sky, the moon would be out tonight. Seras wondered in Hans would howl tonight, he appeared almost expectant as his eyes locked onto the failing sun.

His clothes were still torn and bloody, his skin bruised and scarred. She could still see the tangled dirt and dried blood in his hair. But, he had stayed with her, come back to her even when his heart stopped just days ago. He had even followed her into what he knew was dangerous with the Doktor, Seras wasn't even sure if she would have done the same now that she knew what the man was truly capable of. But, if there were more like Cisa in the Doktor's control, then they would have no choice but to face the monster again.

"Welcome home, Hans," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso and hugging him from behind.

* * *

**Ok, my first chapter with explicit content. Sorry it was a bit dark rather than the warm and fuzzy stuff, but that will come in time. If you skipped over the explicit content, then basically Cisa was given a good deal of growth harmones which forced to her develope to an adult at more than four times the normal rate for the species. This triggered the heat cycle and lets just say wolves react a bit different to that than humans(obviously). I kept it all human, because... sorry but that's how I want it to stay in that area xD. Long story short, the major and the doctor basically restrained Hans and this caused the two werewolves to have relations. There ya go, explicit content in a non explicit nutshell.**

**Now, on to happier things. The poll is still up until Sunday. So the winning character will be featured in the next chapter. Those of you without accounts can vote in the reviews and I will count them in the overall ratings.**

**As always, reviews are much loved! **


	24. Chapter 21

**Ok, I'm glad to have the dark chapter like the last one behind me. It was a little uncomfortable writing it to be honest xD. **

**Also, I'll go ahead and announce the winning character in the poll, Schrodinger! So he will be in this chapter. \(^o^)/**

**It was a close tie, but two votes cast in the reviews brought Schrodinger up to the top.**

**Also a quick thank you to Agentfreedom for pointing out that I didn't capitalize some names/titles. When I have time to edit I'll go back through and fix the early chapters, but right now I'm just focusing on new chapters. I'll make sure my spell check doesn't make something lower case this time before I post.**

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

The rain drummed peacefully against the stained glass windows of the Hellsing mansion, thunder occasionally rumbling from above. The scent of cigar smoke wafted in the air around Sir Integra's stern face. Hans liked the woman, even if she had attempted to kill him at least once in the past. But, she commanded respect and deserved it at the same time, it was refreshing to him. He kept his eyes cast down upon the floor, not wishing to question her status as the alpha here.

"It suits you," she muttered, smirking at him through her cigar.

He glanced up as she strode towards him, eyes glaringly appraising him up and down. Despite towering over the woman, she still made Hans feel small. He had missed that feeling the most when his pack had died, the feeling of being in the presence of an alpha. The Major had come close, but in the end he commanded through fear and empty promises, while Integra simply demanded obedience. Her word was law, no more something to be ignored than a hurricane about to rip apart an entire coastline.

Integra sauntered closer to him as he stood in her office, wearing the new Hellsing uniform he had been provided. It didn't really feel much different from his old one. Hans had gotten used to wearing clothes for the sake of the humans' piece of mind. They had probably developed the pointless things because they had no fur and their skin was very fragile. Even in a human form, Hans' skin was considerably tougher than a human's. Integra circled behind him, inspecting to see if the uniform was to her liking.

As she came full circle and stood in front of him, she stared up at him for a moment as she studied him. He personally prefered the new uniform to his old Millenium one. It was simple and that suited him the best. It was an army green with the black vest that all the Hellsing soldiers wore. At first he had been a little uncertain about wearing the Hellsing insignia on his chest and arms. He might have forgiven the organization, but he would never forget what they had done in the past.

"Seras vouches for you, Captain. But, I am not so easily convinced," Integra stated, blowing smoke from her mouth so that it would waft out to the side of them.

"Since you were last here, I have been going through all of the Hellsing archives in search of documents about your species. I have no doubt you are aware of what I found?"

Hans stared down at her, unsure of where she was going with this. Did she really have to search through archives just to remember what all they had done to his species? It hadn't even been a century since it had all come about. He knew Integra was very young compared to him, although for her kind she was probably middle aged, but he had still expected her to know about such things.

"My grandfather and father hunted werewolves and it would seem Iscariot did as well. As you are aware, you would not be the first monster for us to employ. Alucard and then Seras are both vampires and they both have hunted their own kind. According to Seras' report, just like he did with vampires, the Doktor is now engineering artificial werewolves. Are you prepared to do what it takes to eliminate these creatures?"

Hans was silent, feeling his face grow more stern as he locked gazes with Integra for the first time. The human woman had an intense stare, the only one he had ever encountered from a human that made him want to submit and carry out her every order. She was asking much of him. It was very much like the few times the pack he was with had gone to war with another pack. There was hesitation about fighting a fellow wolf, a fear of tasting their blood when he went for the killing blow. But, sometimes such things were necessary. Yet, they could fight an endless swarm of monsters, but the swarm would continue until they could chop off the snake's head.

Integra puffed out more cigar smoke, still watching him expectantly.

Hans nodded, breaking eye contact and waiting for her response.

"Good. I need you to write a full report on these artificial werewolves since you cannot simply tell me and I do not have time to pass note cards back and forth. You and Seras will both train with the new soldiers that will be arriving within the month, they need to know what we are dealing with and how to kill them. Is that understood, Hellsing's Wardog?" Integra spoke the title softly with a small smile around the cigar, reaching out a finger to flick the Hellsing coat of arms patched onto the chest of the black bullet proof vest he wore.

* * *

**1980**

**Hans POV:**

Joining forces with the Major had been the downfall of his pack, the last pack of the entire species. If they had turned down his invitation and simply found a new hunting grounds more remote from human civilization, then perhaps they would have all survived. Millennium with their vampires would have squabbled with Iscariot and Hellsing long enough to draw attention away from the wolfkin, allowing them to hide. But, they had allowed themselves to be consumed with anger. They had all paid a terrible price for it. The pack was dead, their bodies used for the experiments of a mad man and he was alone, left to watch as everything spiraled out of control.

He had not spoken to Cisa since the day in the Major's office, instead choosing to completely reject her. She was angry with him for it, seeking comfort from him and finding only complete rejection. Despite his attempts to teach her, she really could not understand the ways of their kind. She had never been in a pack, never tasted the kill after a long hunt, never fought for a higher rank within the pack... She was not like him. She never would be. And now, he found himself in a different position than before.  
The Major and the Doktor had both taken the liberty of informing him just what the chip they had implanted inside his body could do. When detonated either by his heart stopping or manually by the Doktor, it would burst into an intense chemical fire which would incinerate him. It was no different than putting an explosive device inside him. No matter what they called it, they now had total control. But, no matter how much they ordered him, he still rejected Cisa.

She was in her right mind once again, but he could only feel her seething anger towards him. She would send her consciousness crashing against his own, attempting to break in, and they would fight if they met face to face. The Doktor's plan to have them breed and produce a litter had utterly backfired, not only did it not cause her to get pregnant, but any future hopes of doing so had been dashed.

They hated each other.

Already they had been yanked apart during a fight by threat of being tranquilized, leaving them both to crawl back to their rooms and lick their own wounds. Hans felt angry with both himself and the Major along with his pet scientist, outraged with the way they played god. But, it was too late to turn back now. He still had a single purpose and that was all that mattered. When the time came, he would make sure he died a warrior's death so that his species would be remembered as they should and not as what Cisa had become.

A knock at his door brought Hans back into reality as he stood to open it. Outside stood a small boy that Hans had never seen before. Sniffing the air, he wasn't quite sure what the child smelled like, it was neither human nor anything else he had encountered before. The creature looked human except for animal ears and a long, thin tail covered in short, dark fur. It was likely another of the Doktor's experiments, although much to his relief it certainly wasn't any hybrid of his species.

"Good morning, Captain!" The tiny boy was oddly cheerful, smiling up at him and saluting as if it were all a fun little game to him.

"I am Warrant Officer Schrodinger, sir! The Major requests your presence at the meeting in thirty minutes."

Hans stared down at the overly happy child, wondering where he had come from exactly. He seemed far too happy to be a product of the Doktor's and yet he had never seen him before and it wasn't as if the Major was actively recruiting at the moment. Schrodinger cocked his head to the side and smiled up at him, as he was aware of what Hans was thinking.

"Oh but I do know, Captain! I'm not like the others. I am everywhere and nowhere! I exist wherever I acknowledge my existence. Right now, I've acknowledged that I can understand you, so I can."

Hans growled, having kept his mind very guarded lately with Cisa's invasive actions. But, he felt no presence near him, nothing to indicate this boy was able to link into his thoughts just like his own kind could, much less do so without his detecting them. Either the kid was a very good guesser, or he was telling the truth. Either way, Hans wasn't sure how he felt about the boy, or really anyone else in the bunker for that matter.

"Well, I suppose I can be a good guesser sometimes, but I'm not guessing right now! So it is true that you werewolves can talk like this? Cisa told the Doktor that you talked in your minds to each other! But, he gave her a transplant so she has a human voice now. He's been teaching her to talk. She's told us alot about you and your kind-"

Hans cut the boy off with a loud snarl, towering over him as the boy folded his ears down in a moment of fear as he realized that he had just upset Hans.

_'You can hear me? Then I suggest you inform the Major that I will not be in the meeting, neither will Cisa. She and I will have a meeting of our own.'_

"Herr Major won't like that... Can't it wait until after?"

_'No.'_

The little boy scampered after him as Hans began to make his way towards where he knew Cisa was, her distinct, seething anger made her very easy to find without giving her the chance to break into his mind. Whatever the Doktor had done to allow her to speak as a human, she had truly chosen to leave behind what little she was of a wolf in telling such information to the Doktor. He had taught her a lot, things that no other creature should ever have known.

"Captain, you're walking too fast for me!"

Hans wheeled around and barred his teeth as the boy was unable to make the sudden halt and crashed into his belly. Stepping back and cowering a bit, he looked up at Hans as if to question if he had made him angry. "Sorry... You stopped to fast."

_'Return to the Major, your business with me is completed. I am not babysitting anymore pups from that...human. I don't care if they are born naturally with pure bloodlines or some...some thing like Cisa. I am here for my own reasons and I will play this little game of theirs for as long as it helps me towards what I want to do. When they cease to be useful to me, I will be sure to return the favor.'_

He shifted into wolf form and left the small boy behind, charging down the hall way toward where he knew Cisa was. If the Doktor had given her a new voice to share the secrets of his kind, then he would tear it out himself. Soldiers walking idly through the halls found themselves scrambling to get out his way or being shoved out of it if they were too slow. He felt numb now, no longer caring about anything or anyone else. All that mattered was his goals and silencing anything that got in his way. He had taught Cisa to fight and they had had small scraps lately, but he knew she had never been in a true fight for her life. And he had the need to shed the blood of those who dared to break the sacred traditions of his kind.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Seras smiled nervously at Hans as he trailed behind Integra into the main dining hall. She had been filled with anxiety all morning after leaving the woman's office, passing by Hans briefly as he entered through the door she had just left. Sir Integra had requested an interview with Hans, one without her presence or that of the guards. Both of them were masters of hiding their emotions with stern facial expressions, making it even more bothersome to attempt to guess at how the meeting had gone based on their composure. Sir Integra blew smoke from her cigar, walking with her usual confident gait. Meanwhile, Hans stalked silently behind her like a hunter with his intense stare and stoic face.

It was lunch time now and nearly everyone present in the organization were sitting down and eating together, some of them talking or reading newspapers. Everything grew quiet as they all noticed their leader, along with the large werewolf they had all been ordered to shoot with an explosive silver round if he so much as glanced at any of them the wrong way. The air seemed a bit more tense and she could see Hans visibly straighten his back to his full height, causing several of the other men to glance away.

"Good morning, gentlemen. I'm sure most of you know our new dog here?" Integra nodded in Hans' direction as several of the soldiers muttered back an affirmative.

"As of this moment, he is no longer a security problem. Anyone who attempts to harm him in any way will be treated the same way I would treat a soldier who had started a fight with another. He will have the same rank as Seras Victoria and will be given the same respect. He is _my_ war dog now and I have confidence that he will be a loyal soldier. If you have a problem with that, I'm sure Hans here would be happy to deal with your complaints."

Sir Integra turned on her heel to leave, her departure allowing the soldiers to muttered irritably among themselves. Seras knew that Hans could probably hear the harsh words passing between the men just as well as she could. Some of them didn't even bother to lower their voice as they uttered slurs, curses, and other such comments. They made Seras angry, but Hans was as stoic as ever. If any of it bothered him, then he was hiding it very well. She imagined him as being a top class poker player with that stern expression and unnervingly intense gaze.

Hans began to stride towards where she sat, just as proud and tall as she remembered. He looked so handsome in the new Hellsing uniform which nearly matched the ones that all of the soldiers wore. However, there were small differences with his as he obviously did not need the same protection a human would. He wore a black bullet proof vest with the Hellsing coat of arms on the chest, but Seras knew it was meant to stop silver bullets in combat. If the Doktor was able to create a weapon from whatever form of silver he had used to poison Hans, it would be deadly in combat. At least with this then his chest and torso were protected.

Hans slid into an empty chair next to Seras and sternly stared down each soldier that dared to give him a dirty look. Seras smiled a bit to herself, knowing Hans well enough by now that he probably was 'establishing dominance' in whatever body language his species used, while to her and the others it looked like he was trying to just intimidate everyone into avoiding him by fear.

She knew that all the soldiers really needed was to see that he wasn't the big bad wolf that he appeared to be upon first sight. Some of them had even been afraid of her when they first joined, now they were all quite friendly towards her. It would just take time and convincing, although she had to admit Hans was a bit less convincing than she was. It also didn't help that he was a great deal larger than everyone else, giving him a rather intimidating profile.

"I think Sir likes you, Hans," she said, placing an elbow on the table and leaning her chin against her fist.

He turned towards her for a moment, staring at her as if to judge if she were just teasing him or not. After a moment of simply smiling back at his stern face, he turned away and began to heap food on top of a plate. She could hear the happy humming sound in his chest as if the idea of being approved of by Sir Integra had pleased him. She watched as his nose scrunched up slightly as he looked down at the food he had grabbed, all of which was meat of some sort. Before they had been captured, Seras had quickly learned that she was not the only one with certain eating habits that would terrify most humans. She had not judged, since she herself drank human blood, but Hans ate his meat completely raw. She wondered if he actually preferred that to cooked meat the same way that she had learned she preferred fresh blood rather than the donated kind in the plastic packets.

After a moment he simply dug into the plate of food, his table manners as horrible as always. He must have been nearly starved, having eaten for the first time only last night and even then being forced to stick to a smaller ration then he wanted. He had lost a good deal of weight during their captivity, only being fed the pitiful excuse for food Cisa forced upon him once every other day of their confinement. His cheeks still appeared slightly gaunt, although the pleasant tone of his tanned skin had returned. No one was here to keep his food intake in check now and he was quick to take advantage of that fact.

Several of the humans sitting around them stared as they got a good look at his teeth for the first time as they tore apart even the tougher cuts of meat like finely sharpened knives. Unlike the fangs of vampires which the men were used too, Hans had nothing but fangs. His teeth were all sharp and, if one had the chance to look back in his mouth to see them, his molars were jagged like that of a canine. Nothing about his teeth were made for chewing, he was just built to tear off whatever he bit down on. This only added to the image of his poor table manners. He didn't chew his food at all, as soon as he tore off a bite he would swallow it, then start the process over. It made it look like he was scarfing it all down faster than he could bite it. A small smile spread across her face as she stuck her hand around behind his head and leaned in closely, stopping him from ripping off another bite.

"Hans, I think they like your teeth. You should show them off!" She spoke in as happy a voice as she could muster, managing to get several of their human companions to lean in for a better view. Hans stared at them for a moment, then simply opened his mouth wide and curled back his lips. Seras teasingly used her finger to move the corner of his mouth and pull it back farther, making his razor sharp molars visible.

The men let out murmurs of interest as they all craned to see Hans' rather impressive dental makeup. Seras almost wondered if his canine teeth were larger than her own now that she had such a close look. She let go of his mouth and laughed along with the other soldiers, feeling a great deal of the tension ease between them all. It was almost as if just seeing her stick her fingers inside his cheek without losing them had been the equivalent to sticking her head inside the mouth of a lion. They went back to their normal conversation, although none talked to Hans at all.

He seemed perfectly at ease with this, going back into tearing off mouthfuls of meat then settling into a trance like state of relaxation by gnawing on a leftover beef rib bone. It warmed Seras' heart to see him leaning back in the chair comfortably like that, as if he didn't have a care in the world. The soldiers had stopped giving him glares of contempt now and had replaced them with stares of curiosity. Perhaps it would go even smoother with the fresh recruits who would have to learn to work with both a vampire and a werewolf while also learning to hunt their species.

* * *

**1980**

**Hans POV:**

Hans had jumped at Cisa the moment he laid eyes on her after storming into the combat training area, knocking several new artificial vampires violently to the ground. She had morphed into wolf form mid tackle, snapping her jaws around his leg as he bit down into the side of her neck. Hans shook his head violently, ripping off skin ,flesh, and fur into a bloody mouthful.

The two of them circled each other several times before Hans lunged again and they crashed together head first, both tearing off pieces of ear and lips. Cisa was still sticking to the basic rules of combat, the only ones he had taught her. She charged forward and snapped her jaws at his feet, attempting to throw him off balance. But, Hans was faster and sank his teeth into her back, throwing her into the wall.

As she stood back onto her feet, Cisa morphed back into her human form and charged towards him. Hans met her half way, taking the same form and using his momentum to break past her arms as they blocked her face and slam his knee into her nose. As she returned to her feet and charged him once more, Hans allowed himself to become pure mist and flow around her, materializing just behind her. With a loud snarl, he sank his teeth into the back of her neck and forced her to the ground. He held her there as they both heaved heavily from their exertion. Hans knew he had won, now he was simply holding her down into a forced state of submission.

_'What now, Hans? Are you going to kill me?'_ Cisa's voice seeped into his mind like a heavy rain, sharing all of her pain and anger towards him.

_'Yes, I am.'_

_'What have I done that was so horrible? I have been a good soldier, an obedient soldier. What more would you ask of me?'_

_'You spoke with the doctor about the ways of our kind. You know that is forbidden.' _

_'The old ways are dead, Hans! You worship a non existent god, follow a code which can no longer apply, and you disobey our master! I am obedient and that is why they will honor me long after the day they spit upon your grave.'_

Hans snarled angrily and twisted her neck around until he felt the loud pop as the bones snapped. He then sank his teeth into the underbelly of her throat, cutting off her air supply. No amount of healing would be able to make up for a lack of oxygen. She struggled at first, twitching about and thrashing in her death throws. But, he held his jaws clamped shut until she grew still and he felt her mind begin to fade toward unconsciousness.

_'I have no master, I am not a dog like you are. The Major is the means to the end and as long as he remains so, I will do as he asks. And you, dog, will forget the sacred ways I taught you. They are not meant for half wolfkin mongrels with no respect for our ways. If you ever cross me again, mongrel bitch, I will kill you.' _

As he turned away from her body, he very purposefully stared down the Doktor who was chewing on his finger nails. For a moment, they locked gazes and Hans felt a small chill run down his spine as the scientist smirked at him as if he had somehow been the winner in all of this. Hans could feel Cisa's hatred boiling up as he turned his back on her, leaving her to bleed out with a crushed wind pipe. She could easily die from the wounds, but he honestly couldn't make himself care. Alive or dead, Cisa was no longer of importance to him.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

A few weeks had passed and things had slowly begun to smooth into a routine. There was training, briefing, and a few minor missions here and there. Now, however, the fresh recruits had arrived and were standing on the spacious back lawn of the mansion. Sir Integra stood with a cigar in her hand, though she had yet to light it. Seras stood next to Hans, the three of them facing the two squadrons of soldiers. Seras had explained to him that these soldiers were all elites from the British military who had willingly volunteered for a job within the organization, albeit they did not know the full story on what they had signed on for.

"Good morning, gentlemen. You are all here for the same reason. You are the elite of her Majesty's military and as such, you have been offered the opportunity to serve in the Royal Order of Protestant Knights. The soldiers of the Hellsing Organization are on a mission from God, a mission to exterminate the impure souls of inhuman monsters." Sir Integra spoke coolly, as if all of these soldiers should simply understand what she was saying.

Many of the men seemed confused, several looking around at their fellow soldiers as if wondering if this was a joke. A chorus of quiet murmurs arose as several whispered among themselves, wondering if Integra was being serious or not. Several of the men glanced towards Hans and Seras, as if waiting to find out that the two of them were in on the joke. Seras merely smiled awkwardly and Hans stared right back at them.

"This is no joke, men. This is the ugly truth of our world. There are monsters who prey upon innocent people and it is our job to purge these creatures," Sir Integra gestured towards Hans and Seras, "Seras, Hans, step forward."

Seras shyly followed behind Hans as he moved to stand directly in front of the group of men. Several of them appeared somewhat surprised as Hans now stood three feet in front of them, towering above the tallest in the group by at least a foot in height. Seras stood next to him, appearing rather dwarfed in comparison. She simply waved with a good natured smile on her face, Hans merely stood and stared down at all them.

"They appear human, yes?" Sir Integra stated, watching as several men frowned in confusion.

Finally one of them stepped forward, appearing to be one of the higher ranked soldiers of the group, "Ma'am, we were told that this was a job with top security clearance and that we would be held accountable to keep quiet on all that goes on here. Are you trying to tell us that these two here are not human or something?"

"That is precisely what I am saying, lieutenant Bennet was it? Neither of them are human, Hans here never was and never will be human and Seras was born human, but has been turned into something quite inhuman. I assure you, this is no joke. What do you believe happened to London several months ago? What were you told about it?"

"London? It was a highly organised terrorist attack. They bombed us from their planes."

"Wrong, we were attacked by a paramilitary organization known as Millenium. They were the left overs of the Nazi supernatural divisions from World War II. Hans, here, fought in the war as one of the Nazi Waffen-SS officers. He appears rather young to have been a high ranking, elite solder of the Nazi Werwolf unit int the 1940's, no?"

Integra smiled as everyone stared at Hans, as if waiting for everyone to burst into laughter about the joke having almost been taken seriously. All of them had been taught the history of World War II as children, they had even learned about the SS and the commando unit known as the Werwolves. But, they also knew that anyone still alive who had participated in the war would be quite old now. Hans had the appearance of a young human man who couldn't be over thirty years old.

"You're telling me the terrorist attack on London was actually a Nazi invasion?"

"Exactly, Lieutenant."

"And he is a... Nazi?"

"No, Hans was a soldier in the Millennium forces at the time. But, he is my soldier now and has earned my trust."

For a moment, everyone just stared at each other awkwardly until Integra sighed, "Seras, Hans... I believe it is time we just demonstrated what I am talking about. How about the two of you do a little sparring match for our new recruits?"

Several of the men turned to each other, as if they couldn't believe Integra was pitting Hans against Seras who was barely tall enough to come to his chest in height. But, Seras just smiled and saluted Integra happily, stretching a bit as if preparing for a good bit of sport. Hans merely turned to face her, taking in the fierce gleam to her eyes as she smiled at him, giving him a nod that told him that he could spar without holding too much back. Integra passed by Hans as she moved to stand near the lieutenant and the other recruits, turning to Hans as she passed, "Show me what you've got, Wardog."

Seras was the first to move, charging in head on with the same amount of speed he remembered from their fight on the zeppelin. Hans held his ground, barring his teeth as he took the brute force of her charge as they clashed. Both of them were refreshed and in top condition again, well fed and well rested. For a moment they stared at each other, locked in a battle of strength as they pushed against each other and their feet dug into the ground as they attempted to both overpower the other. Hans suddenly swiveled, causing Seras to throw herself off balance without him pushing against her any more. As she pitched forward and stumbled, he jerked her arm and flipped her directly onto her back.

With a heave of air being forced from her lungs, she was quick to get back to her feet. Hans was the one to charge this time and she nimbly dove beneath his fists, bringing up her first to connect with his chin in a punishing uppercut. Hans merely shifted into mist, and materialized behind her in Wolf form, earning many startled gasps from the recruits. He circled her for a moment, giving her a chance to gather herself together. There was no holding back in this spar, Sir Integra had made that quite clear. Seras allowed reflex and instinct to take over, dodging each of the massive wolf's attacks by mere hair-widths. When it came time to retaliate once again, Seras managed to sink her teeth into his shoulder, sucking a little of his blood for a split second.

_'Don't hold back, sanft madchen. Give them a show!'_

Opening her jaws again, Hans felt their linked minds break apart once more, but the feeling of having fun had been mutually expressed between them. This was merely a playful sparring match, something Hans had done with his siblings and friends as pups for fun. Seras was enjoying herself just as much as he was.

They continued for nearly thirty minutes, Hans shape shifting constantly and both landing powerful blows. Sir Integra finally called for a halt and they stood facing each other in front of the group of startled soldiers. Both were sweating and panting heavily, but Seras was smiling and Hans returned the human expression back to her. They had had fun, more fun then they probably should have during a sparring match. Neither had any wounds, any bruises or minor cuts having already healed perfectly on both their bodies.

"Do you understand now gentlemen?"

"Yes, ma'am," the soldiers all murmured in unison.

"Seras and Hans will both be training you in how to battle both vampires and werewolves, their strengths and weaknesses. They are both stronger than what you might face on a mission. Hans is a natural born werewolf, probably several hundred years old. He is the last of his kind. Any other werewolf you encounter will be the results of genetic manipulation and human upbringing. There are still many true vampires in the world, but few have such old and pure bloodlines as Seras. Her maker was one of the first vampires, one of the most ancient and powerful ones to ever cross paths with Hellsing. She is young and a fledgling, but is she is more capable than any artificial or weak bloodline vampires you will ever encounter. They are both examples of the best of their species, if you can hold your own with them, then you can overcome any other impure abominations that might spring up."

* * *

**There's the next chapter. Schrodinger got a small highlight, but I plan to have him much more in the next chapter as it was a bit of a stretch to fit him into this one. So expect more from the next chapter on our poll winner!**

**As always, reviews are much loved!**


	25. Chapter 22

**Sorry for the delay. I was on a camping trip over the weekend and didn't get as much time as usual to write. Here is Chapter 22!**

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

Seras watched as the landscape passed beneath them from the helicopter, her keen eyes picking up all the movement of the little humans scurrying about like worker ants for their busy day. Hans sat across from her in his usual silence, eyes staring blankly ahead as if lost in some far away memory. The soldiers all fidgeted about nervously with the anticipation of their first mission. She and Hans had been working with this group closely, teaching what was needed in order to survive a mission. The one they were currently assigned to hardly warranted both her and Hans to be present, but with such a group of green soldiers it was necessary.

They were on the hunt for a small group of what they believed to be vampires who had been on the war path lately in the Irish countryside, turning anyone they found into ghouls or slaughtering them for food. There was no reason to expect these rogues to be in league with Millennium, yet Seras still felt the familiar feeling of being on the hunt of a dangerous being. The anticipation always pooled in her stomach and caused her fingertips to tingle, while her ears and eyes became hyper aware of anything that might be an enemy. According to the report along with some pictures, the victims were killed slowly and eventually eaten rather than actually drained of blood. Pictures would be drawn on the walls with the blood of the dead humans in archaic designs.

When they finally reached their destination, the soldiers rappelled from the hovering helicopter while Hans and Seras merely jumped to the ground. The quiet lights of a small town were in the distance as the helicopter left them to do their work. Hans sniffed the air next to her, searching for the scent of unfamiliar vampires. She had to admit, having him to help with tracking the creatures of the night was extremely helpful. Her own nose was strong, but she lacked the experience for using it to track down a target. He lightly tapped her arm to signal that he had picked up the trail before shifting into the massive white wolf she had grown so used to seeing now.

"Hans has the trail. Weapons on the ready, men. Remember, aim for the head if it is a ghoul. If you make contact with the enemy vampires do not hesitate to kill. Aim for the heart or the head," Seras ordered, smiling despite herself for the sheer thrill of the hunt.

"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen." The soldiers all uttered the prayer together, each one prepared to do his duty.

"May God and her Majesty be with you," Seras answered before turning to follow Hans as he began a trotting pace along the scent trail.

The large white wolf had been outfitted with a state of the art set of combat body armor which was able to expand and continue to protect his torso even in his wolf form. Likewise it would also fit his human form by retracting in size. It reminded her of the vests worn by police dogs now that she could see the black armor with the Hellsing coat of arms proudly displayed on the side. It was still in the testing phase, this being the versatile body armor's first combat test. She only hoped it would work, so when the time came to go after the Doktor, Hans would be well protected no matter what form he took in battle.

The group jogged behind Hans, who had his snout to the earth and would sometimes halt and sniff thoughtfully before changing directions. They finally came to the end of the trail outside of the small town they had determined to be the likely next target for the renegade vampires. The street lights were all that were on this late at night, but even Seras could smell the faint scent of blood in the air. The killing had already begun, but they were still early enough to put a stop to it before the entire town was slaughtered.

Hans shifted back into humanoid form again, teeth barred and piercing gray eyes searching the shadows for movement. Seras loved going on missions with Hans, there was a certain thrill in fighting side by side with him. The Hellsing soldier uniform looked very handsome Hans, even his dog tags had been replaced with the Hellsing version of them. Despite everyone knowing his true name, the soldiers and even Integra had all taken to calling him War Dog. It was a nick name he did not seem to mind, as Seras knew all to well that he would not answer to it if he did. Hans was a fierce fighter and the two of them often entered into an unspoken competition on these small training missions with the rookie soldiers. It was always who took down the most ghouls, or who got to the target vampire first, or all of the above.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

He led the group of soldiers into the small town, following the scent of ever stronger smelling blood and death. They passed by houses which first smelled normal, filled with families of the living. However, it was soon evident that they had now entered the string of houses where the vampires had already struck. Hans turned towards the house with the freshest smelling blood, cautiously stalking toward the front door which was locked firmly as if everything were normal. With little effort, he sent the door off of its hinges and led the way into the house filled with the smell of rot and decay, along with a sickly scent that made his skin crawl.

Inside was something he had begun to associate with newly turned vampires without guidance from a wiser master to rein them in. Blood was everywhere, smeared in crude designs upon the walls and on the floor. He could smell the fear in the soldiers behind them as they began to sweat, knowing all too well that the target vampires would be perfectly capable of smelling it as well. Another scent hung damply in the air, the smell of disease. It was slightly off putting, making him uneasy. He had never heard of vampires being diseased, but the bodies of the victims here might be. Best to be in their presence as little as possible.

A rhythmic thumping sound from around the corner caused him to halt, holding out a hand to signal for silence from those behind him. The sound only continued, a soft and moist thing hitting upon a hard surface. The scent of blood and disease was thicker in the air, nearly heavy enough to taste if he opened his mouth. Slowly, he eased around the corner and let his eyes dart around what appeared to have once been a kitchen. Rotting food was strewn about the carpet, suggesting this had been the state of the house for several days at the least. This was strange, renegade vampires sometimes took their time but not like this. It just didn't fit the typical situation as it should for this mission.

As he stepped out further, he froze again once his eyes found the source of the strange thumping sound. A man stood in the far corner of what appeared to have been a dining room, slamming his bloody head into the wall over and over. A wet stain of blood was on the dented wall and his skin had begun to peel off where he had cracked his skull and even exposed a swollen bit of brains. Foamy saliva drooled from his mouth, stinking of disease. Alarm shot through Hans, knowing this was not how vampire victims should appear. This was neither a ghoul nor a vampire, but it was also not...human.

It took no notice of him at all, merely continued to bang its head upon the wall and drool foam. Seras had crept up beside him and he could smell her fear and confusion mingling with the odors around them. Her big eyes only grew wider as she did what he knew she would, stepping towards the insane creature in an attempt to comfort it.

"Sir? Are you all right? We're here to help," she whispered, reaching a hand out towards the man who only continued to dumbly beat in his head. Hans grabbed her by the wrist to stop her from reaching and touching the diseased thing before them, afraid of what he did not know. Nature had a way of weeding out diseased creatures, causing even their own kind to reject them. Even when he was a pup, he could remember that on one occasion a pack member had been run off and eventually killed. Disease was dangerous, it set off all of the instinctual alarms and he would not allow Seras near it. Snarling vampires he could handle, even silver poisoning, but not unknown disease that affected an individual like this.

An unexpected gun shot caused them all to jump as the poor wretch's head exploded in foul smelling bits of brains and tissue. They all turned quickly to find another group, like themselves, here to exterminate the impure souls of the town. Hans snarled angrily as he recognized the uniforms before him, even the face of the one holding the gun with the barrel still smoking.

"Iscariot," Seras murmured, glaring past their soldiers to the agents of the Vatican.

* * *

**1987**

**Hans POV:**

After her sound defeat, Cisa had fallen into a much more submissive attitude towards Hans once again. He still kept her from his mind and kept a comfortable distance between the, but they had gone a few years now without incident. Even for those with healing rates that theirs, having a wind pipe crushed was deadly and the female was hardly ready to revisit that near death experience. She had also fallen in standing with the Major, who had a habit of favoring the strongest and wholly approved of the way Hans demonstrated rank and power.

"Guten tag, Captain." The overly happy sound of Schrodinger's voice pulled him back out of his thoughts as the small boy sat down across from him at the table. Hans merely snorted and continued to eat, stealing a few deadly glares at Cisa whenever he felt her eyes burning into his back.

"You know, I hear that the Doktor's work with werewolves is being terminated. It hasn't been successful like his vampire research," Schodinger smiled innocently as he finally caught Hans' undivided attention.

"Herr Major feels that the werewolf research is taking away from the Doktor's ability to complete his most important work on studying She."

_'And what is to become of the existing experiments?'_

"Herr Major dislikes incomplete specimens. He has ordered all prototypes of the werewolf projects to be terminated, to discourage any further distractions for the good Doktor."

Hans turned once again to gaze at Cisa, noticing now that she appeared nervous. If what the child said was true, she would be executed in a short period of time. The irony was not lost on him that the very beings she had claimed were her masters and had tried so hard to obey would be the very ones to end her for the sheer audacity of their own convenience. If it didn't make him feel sick, he might would have laughed over it. Yet, even he was not yet that sadistic.

"You are pleased with her death, Captain?"

Hans merely growled in answer, refusing to give the strange child the pleasure of such knowledge. He took no pleasure in Cisa's death, but a great deal of ease had settled upon him now that he knew the Doktor was being forced to stop his experiments on his own species. Let the vile man waste his time on artificial vampires, but not on his pack.

* * *

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

The soldiers of Iscariot and Hellsing trained their sights on each other, ready to lock themselves into combat over their mutual targets. Three Iscariot nuns and two priests stood behind the only familiar face she saw. Heinkel stood before them with anger in her eyes as she regarded Hans, who snarled loudly at Seras' side. The presence of the Vatican soldiers in this area was troubling to say the least and the situation had quickly grown very dangerous.

"I see Hellsing is now accepting Nazi bastards into their ranks," Heinkel's words were no longer slurred now that her cheek had healed the hole shut. But the horrible scar was still upon her face, a bullet hole on either cheek from a gun. Her guns aimed straight at Hans, a wicked smile upon her scarred face.

"What are you doing here, Iscariot?" Seras asked, forcing herself to sound calm and confident.

"The same as you, I'm sure. Exterminating the souls of the damned and putting down the other pests who get in our way. I suggest you and your Nazi pet turn around and leave, now. This is over your head, bloodsucker."

Seras jumped slightly as Hans let loose a furious snarl at Heinkel's words, causing the woman to take a step backwards. She merely stuck out her hand and held Hans by the arm, knowing that Iscariot rarely made threats they could not keep. Anderson might have been dead now, but there was little doubt that the Vatican was capable of making more regenerative soldiers just like the mad priest.

"There is no reason for us to fight, we are here for the same reason. Instead of arguing, we should work together." Seras pointed out, giving Hans a meaningful look.

The werewolf snorted and stepped back, gray eyes narrowed as he glared at the group of Catholics across from them. Seras only hoped that he would remain calm, not wishing to provoke a fight with Iscariot so soon after the horrors of London. Especially when they held such close interests that should unify them, rather than drive a wedge between the two organizations.

"Work together?" Heinkel spat upon the floor, "You have no idea what this is. Do ghouls or other victims of vampires stand about bashing their brains out and foaming at the mouths? No! If your claim to this job is a specialty in vampires then you have no claim here whatsoever. This is not a case of a vampire, it is some other unholy thing come to bring more suffering upon our Lord's people. Vampire Hunters should just stay home and out of our way."

"But if it isn't vampires, then what is it?" Seras asked simply, attempting to be diplomatic and keep the peace.

Heinkel stared at her for a moment, then her eyes turned to Hans and one pale hand reached up to touch the scar on her cheek. Seras had never really spent much time around the woman, but remembered her by how she dressed in the priests robes rather than the typical nun habit. She continued to watch the tense stare off between Hans and Heinkel, one of her hands still lightly gripping Hans' muscular arm. After a moment, the nun lowered her weapons and nodded for the others to do the same.

"We're not sure, but it is not a vampire. We have been tracking the creatures for several weeks now. They never actually harm anyone _themselves_, but it appears that their presence alone drives the citizens insane," Heinkel sighed and pushed her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose, "Whatever they are, they are difficult to pick out in a crowd. They do not stick to the shadows as a vampire would, nor do they even have to lift a finger to do anything themselves. The people closest in proximity to these demons just start going insane. They become rabid animals who will rape, murder, and cannibalize their own families and the last survivor of the house typically ends like this one did. We have even witnessed victims gutting themselves and eating their own innards until they die."

Seras swallowed as she began to process this bit of news, noticing that Hans had already stolen a furtive glance at the corpse in the corner or the room. Heinkel stepped forward over trash and debris upon the floor, pulling a flashlight out of her pocket and shining it upon the darkened staircase. The walls were covered in strange drawings, all of them appearing as if finger painted by hands dipped in blood. None of it made any sense to her, but that was only more disconcerting.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

Hans relaxed as the tension seemed to ease between the two groups, returning his attention to the stench of disease within the house. As he listened to the explanation given by Heinkel, he began to wonder more and more just what was going on. As he gazed upon the deranged blood paintings on the wall, he tapped Seras on the shoulder. Once she turned towards him, he put his left hand over his sternum and his right hand near his forehead, dragging one finger towards his brow from his hair line and moving his left hand slightly with his middle finger sticking out toward his stomach.

Seras thought for a moment, obviously having to remember what this signaled in sign language. He pointed towards the body, then repeated the sign again until her face showed that she understood, "They were sick?"

He nodded and used his left hand to make a flourishing motion as if wafting a scent towards his nose.

"You can smell that? I don't smell anything, but do you think that has something to do with how they are acting?" Seras mused while Hans nodded in response, turning to Heinkel again as if curious of this woman's opinion.

"Is he deaf?" The nun muttered, giving him yet another grudging glare.

"No, but he can't talk. If Hans says he can smell some sort of sickness, then it must be worth mentioning. He doesn't really like pointing things out unless he feels they are important," Seras explained as Heinkel moved to stand directly in front of Hans and Seras.

"Hans, is it? Do you remember me?" she asked, pointing to the scars upon both cheeks.

He stared at her for a moment, then finally realized why she appeared familiar. Typically, he recognized people by scent more than sight until he became familiar with them and the disease in the house was overpowering any other smells around him. She was the one he had shot through the cheeks, trying to keep the human pup from getting herself killed along with her Iscariot friends. Really, the woman should be grateful. If not for him putting her in her place, then she would have been cut to pieces just like the sword wielding nun before her. He held no love or forgiveness for Iscariot, but there was no honor in standing by while young pups with no sense in their heads were slaughtered. The human couldn't be more than mid twenties, his kind would still be in the den at that age. But, she seemed rather angry with him, perhaps over the scars? Human females were fickle about their faces, even he knew that.

Bringing his hands to his chest, he pulled both into fists and allowed his two fingers on each hand to point out into 'v' shapes and held his left hand over the right. Then, after pointing to Heinkel, brought both arms with hands clasped into fists so that they crossed then pulled them apart.

"He says, "Keep you safe."." Seras interpreted, giving the two of them somewhat uncertain looks as if worried about his past exchange with the nun during the Nazi invasion.

Heinkel scoffed and chewed on her lower lip, but did not say anything further. She neither appeared thankful nor completely spiteful, but Hans also knew he was no expert on human expressions. The young human was little concern to him now, neither being on the offensive nor defensive toward her organization today. It would be neither his job to protect her nor to spare her, but simply work around her as best he could.

"If this is some sort of disease, then the ones spreading it must be the creatures we have been tracking. The question is how does is spread, what is it, and how do we put it down?" Heinkel pondered, standing over the corpse and rubbing her chin in thought.

"Hans do you think you could a find a house where the people might be sick, but haven't... gone crazy yet?" Seras asked, turning to him and looking up at him expectantly.

He simply nodded and turned on his heels to find the exit to the house once more, glad to be out in the fresh air once more. The town was fairly quiet, although some people still walked about here and there. All the people still well and good seemed painfully ignorant of what was going on inside the lifeless houses in their neighborhoods.

He turned around again to Seras and the soldiers and nuns filing out behind her. These people needed to be removed and quarantined before the sickness spread further, this would force whatever creatures were carrying the disease out from their hiding place in search of new hosts. For a moment he stood and picked through his own memory trying to remember the signs for what he wanted to say, but drawing a blank he simply reverted to the alphabet and spelled them out. He and Seras hadn't even been working on their sign language together for very long, although it had been very useful in training the new recruits together, and the alphabet was the fail safe means of communication between them.

With a nod of understanding, Seras turned again to Heinkel, "We need to evacuate and quarantine the people in this town."

"The population here is in the thousands, that would be impossible."

"What if Hans could sniff out a perimeter for the disease and we could shut it off from the public, then anyone inside it would be quarantined inside. We would have to go house to house, but nothing would get in or out without our knowing it."

Hans nodded in reply, confident that he could figure out the general radius of the sickness' reach and create a safe perimeter around it. The question was more or less a matter of man power, having one small squadron of Hellsing soldiers and then the small group of Catholics. Heinkel seemed thoughtful for a moment then turned to talk to her comrades off to the side, as if discussing the usefulness of working with their old rivals. Seras turned and quietly opened her own cell phone, no doubt calling Integra for approval.

"Sir, the situation is not a vampire problem. The victims appear to have been driven insane, even to the point of cannibalism and self harm. We encountered Iscariot soldiers and they informed us that unknown creatures they have been tracking are linked as the cause, but Hans can smell some sort of disease on the victims. We aren't sure if it is carried by the unidentified creatures or if it is some sort of venom or poison they are using. We are going to need more soldiers if we are to take out the issue. Hans can detect the spread of the sickness and create a perimeter to quarantine the affected area. But we will need at least five more Squads... No sir, at the moment Iscariot is being cooperative, but I'm not sure for how long... I see... No sir, I was not aware of that... I will keep an eye on the situation. Yes, sir."

She hung up the phone and turned to Hans again, her big blue eyes appearing uneasy and worried. After a moment of regarding her with a bit of concern he brought his hands up with his thumb and index making a "D" shape, his palms facing up, bringing his thumb and index fingers together several times. He followed this up by pointing his index finger at his mouth then moving it out and down quickly, cocking his head to side as he watched her.

"What are the orders? We will receive backup shortly, but I'm not sure if it will be enough to quarantine enough of the town. For now, we are to cooperate with Iscariot for as long as they are useful and do not interfere with our mission. Our main concern is to determine the nature of the situation and if it is within our jurisdiction or a new pandemic to be monitored by other authorities."

* * *

*****Explicit Content Warning*****

**Present**

**Seras POV:**

The evening and night passed quickly as they received the other squads of Hellsing soldiers and set up the perimeter which Hans had carefully mapped out for them. Iscariot too had produced a small squad of their own agents, although the group appeared inexperienced to say the least. Together, they shut down the infected section of the town and declared it under quarantine. Any one attempting to break quarantine by entering or leaving was to be shot on sight, no mercy. It was a very uncomfortable situation for Seras and she was glad that Hans was there to make her feel more at ease.

Now that the sun was rising, both of them were completely exhausted and had retreated to a small hotel that was in an uninfected area just outside the perimeter. The soldiers were now taking shifts throughout the day and the search would again continue after dark. Seras collapsed upon one of the beds in the motel room as Hans quietly drew the curtains closed to keep her from getting a dreadful burn. She missed her safe coffin to sleep in, but it had not been expected for this mission to require multiple nights.

Hans, stoic as he was, even appeared worn out. Every few minutes he would open his mouth and let out a long yawn which showed all his pearly white fangs, stretching his jaws as wide open as they would go. Even those unyielding gray eyes of his were glazed over from exhaustion. He pulled off the bullet proof vest and the button up green jacket and tossed them upon the floor, stretching for a moment in just his pants and boots. Seras had to admit, she had begun to slowly appreciate his lack of awareness in the nudity department.

She admired his muscled back as each perfectly toned muscle stretched and tensed over his shoulder blades and around the back of his rib cage. She could hear some his joints pop as he twisted his spine a bit, a contented sigh escaping him as he apparently achieved relief in some sort of back pain that had been bothering him. Another big yawn escaped him as he began to pull off the boots on his feet, nearly in a daze as he did so. She liked moments like this with him, the way his silver hair would fall almost into his eyes in untamed waves and the wide eyed, stern expression he always carried. Hans was certainly one of a kind, in more ways than one to Seras.

She smiled at him sleepily as he turned around and caught her staring at him, but, where she would have blushed, he merely scratched at some sort of itch he had on the back of his neck and appeared thoughtful for a moment. Then with a soft sigh he moved towards her lay down next to her rather than the second bed in the room, making her cheeks turn deep red. He didn't appear to think much of the action, his big body wrapping around her and enveloping her in warmth. As much as these sorts of actions from him caused her heart to flutter and her stomach to turn flips, it felt so devoid of romance.

"Hans?" she murmured his name, getting only the rumbling hum from his chest as a reply.

"You do things like this so easily, but it gets me flustered. Is this just what... werewolves do normally with their friends or do you... you know... like me?" she asked, keeping her head buried in the pillow and facing away from him. He didn't pull away from her, but she could feel his breath on her cheek as he leaned up to look at her thoughtfully. Then she realized that she couldn't hide by looking away if she wanted an answer and took a deep breath to roll over and look him in the eye.

She found herself facing his broad, muscled chest. He had propped himself up on one arm and was looking at her with the usual blank expression, eyes starting to droop a bit for the need of sleep. Then he leaned forward and rested his forehead against her own, making her flush even more. After a moment, he moved down to her neck and sniffed lightly then nipped her lightly with his teeth, a soft pinch with his fangs. It sent electricity through her and she idly began to run her fingers through the head of shaggy silver hair while his arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer.

"Does this mean you like me... as more than a friend?" she whispered, bringing her lips down to press lightly on the top of his head, enjoying the feel of the silky strands of silver against her mouth. He smelled of the forest mixed with a light musky scent of sweat as he only continued to make that rumbling humming sound and tipped his head back to kiss her lightly beneath her chin. Even her own cool skin felt hot as he brought her ever closer, his much larger body nearly wrapping around her own much smaller one.

Feeling him moving again to kiss beneath her chin, she tipped her own chin down and met his lips with her own. He seemed surprised at first, unresponsive to the gentle movements of her mouth against his. Then his eyes softened a bit and he returned the action, kissing her softly. His large hands found their way beneath the waist line of her shirt, rubbing underneath it to touch the soft skin on her back and waist. She gasped softly as he rolled over on top of her, kissing softly down her neck until he met with the collar of her uniform.

No man had ever touched her like Hans was now, or any other fashion for that matter. The way he explored with his hands beneath the hem of her shirt and his mouth against her collar bone, it made her head swim. His breath was hot against her bare skin as he tugged her uniform down, revealing her cleavage to his gray eyes. In the back of her mind, she knew she should feel nervous and embarrassed, but she didn't. There was such familiarity and closeness that she felt towards Hands and he was gentle with her, even being on top of her he kept his weight on his elbows so she felt nothing more than the heat from his bare skin. Was this what love felt like?

She reached her own hands out to run her fingers across his chest, admiring the firm muscles there and brushing over the light sprinkling of silver chest hair. She had always thought Hans was attractive and that he had a handsome body, but she had never admired it like this. He sucked lightly at a soft patch of skin beneath her chin, making her grip his shoulders in surprise. She feel his breath in her ears, hearing the way his breathing had grown a bit heavier just as her own had. Seras couldn't help but squirm slightly as she felt his tongue slide across the rim of her ear then back down to her earlobe where he lightly nipped with his teeth.

The way he was touching and tasting her, it made her want to get rid of the clothing keeping their bare skin apart. It was if all the innocent shyness she usually had was gone out the window and replaced with instinctual lust. Wrapping her arms around her neck, she pulled herself up and closer to him. That earthy smell she had come to associate with him filled her nose as she nestled her face into the side of his neck, some of his hair tickling the sides of her cheek. The urge to bite into that warm neck rose up, but she fought it back. Wouldn't that be inappropriate for this?

She felt her arms being tugged down as he pulled at her shirt and she let them go limp for a moment as he pulled her shirt down and away from her. She could finally feel the sensation of his hot skin against her own. He moved down to kiss along her breast, following the line of fabric on her bra and then continuing down her stomach with a trail of warm kisses. Was this how his kind made love? She wasn't sure what she had expected, where it would have been humanly passionate or that they simply would mount each other and go at it to reproduce. But, he didn't seem awkward at all like he normally did when forcing himself into human expression and actions. Everything he did was smooth and natural and the flush on his bronze skin suggested he enjoyed it as much as she did.

* * *

**Present**

**Hans POV:**

Seras' skin was cool to the touch, but not quick chilly either. It actually felt good as he felt his own skin start to get a slight sheen of sweat from the excitement of their actions. Hans had almost expected the draculina to be shy or even reject his advances, but instead she had accepted him completely. She had asked about his feelings towards her and this was how he had chosen to express it. Words were not on his side in their relationship and he felt that he could show her how he felt much easier than explaining it anyways. Her skin was so soft with a toned stomach that echoed the strength he knew she held.

He stopped his downward trail of kisses and moved back up to her chest, tugging off the bra that human woman insisted on wearing for fear of anyone noticing they had nipples just like every other warm blooded creature on the earth. He was glad, though, that tonight Seras was not at all shy about her body. For awhile now, he had thought of her as beautiful, but now that he could admire her completely without any hesitation from her... She was irresistible.

Her breasts were ample and round with light pink nipples that went with her pale skin. They were soft and free of the scent of their work since she always kept them covered by an extra layer of cloth. He leaned in and lightly licked around one one the soft pink nipples and gently massaged the other, taking in the clean scent that was purely Seras. That sweet, sweet smell that only she had filled his nose and only made him love her the more. Soft gasps and panting were his reward for giving her the affections.

After a moment, he moved his hand down to where the waist of her skirt was, looking up for approval. Was this what she wanted? He knew what he wanted, personally, but also wondered if she would still be as sweet and innocent as before. Would she hate him in the morning? Her large blue eyes locked gaze with his and she gave him a small, pleasure filled smile. There was light sweat across her flushed brow and cheeks and her slender hands reached out to cup his cheeks and pull him back up into a deep kiss. He sank down into her lips, feeling her breasts press softly against his own chest. How long had it been since he had been with a woman like this? Had he ever been with someone and felt like this?

As they broke off the kiss, he felt her wriggle about beneath him again as she removed her skirt and kicked what was left o her clothing from her feet. To his own surprise, he slender fingers then tugged lightly at the hem of his pants to undo the belt and buckle. As she tugged down his pants, he felt the cool air hit the now exposed skin and sucked in his breath. When had she become the aggressive one?

They both stopped to look at each other for a moment, both of their faces somewhat flushed. Hans had never had any issue with not wearing clothing, but it had been a long time since he had been aroused in full view of someone else. No matter how he looked at it, it had been a long time for him. Her soft pink lips opened to form a silent "oh", then her hands caressed his chest again and lightly scratched her nails down his bronze skin. It was his turn to suck in his breath when her hands reached below his waist and wrapped slender fingers around his length. The cool temperature of her skin only heightened the sensitivity to her touch, forcing a low groan to escape his throat as her fingers stroked him and she leaned up to catch his lips in another sweet kiss.

He pushed her back down into the mattress, feeling her fingers leave and move back up to his chest. That was all the encouragement he needed to move his waist between her legs and press himself against her entrance. As he felt himself slide in and her muscles tighten around him, he had to fight to keep still. Seras' eyes were squeezed shut and only opened again when he felt her begin to relax a bit as he continued to kiss and suck on the sweet skin on her collar bone. The breathy sound of his name on her lips sent chills down his spine as he began to rock back and forth, sliding out and back in as he picked up a steady rhythm. To actually hear his name like that in a voice only brought about by pleasureful sex, it only turned him on even more.

He increased his speed and depth as Seras began to arch her back and move her hips to meet with his own for every thrust. The sweet sounds of pleasure Seras made was like music to his ears, so very honest. She scraped her nails along his back and grazed her fangs against his skin, but she didn't bite down. Even her cool skin was hot as they continued to move together, kissing and biting each other. He wished he could say, just once, that he loved her. He had never wished to have a voice like a human did before, but listening to how she moaned his name and how it made him feel. He wished he could do the same with her name, tell her that he loved her.

_'God...I love you so much, Seras.'_

*****End Explicit Content*****

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***Dies from cute overload* Sorry, but I could not resist finally getting Hans and Seras together for real. I needed a big long cute, romantic love scene in this story at least once xD. **

**Anyways, reviews are always loved and adored!**

**Also, make your guesses about this mysterious disease and the creatures spreading it about. Are they supernatural or something else? :P**


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